Family and friends of 21-year-old Kaniesa Scott gathered at a remembrance ceremony in Dallas on Saturday, honouring a young woman who had hoped to become a maths teacher before she was killed in the Deep Ellum Halloween shootings.
Scott, known as “Nene” to those close to her, was among four people killed when three separate shootings erupted in the popular entertainment district during the early hours of November 1. Fifteen others were wounded.
Those attending the gathering wore T-shirts bearing the words “Forever 21”, a tribute to Scott’s age and the future her relatives say she was working hard to build.
“We know, and a lot of people always want to say good things about their family members that passed away,” her aunt Talisa Townsend said. “They be like, ‘Everybody ain’t that good,’ but that’s a lie. This one was.”
Scott had been studying at Tarleton State University and working towards a degree in elementary mathematics education. Her family said she had recently arrived in Deep Ellum and parked before she was caught up in the violence.
Deep Ellum Halloween shootings left four dead
The shootings unfolded across the Dallas district over about 75 minutes, beginning shortly after midnight. Scott, Anthony Martin, Unique Benjamin and Isaiah Boling were killed, while 15 other people suffered gunshot wounds.
David Yancy has since been arrested in connection with one of the attacks. Federal investigators allege that he fired 11 rounds into a crowded street, striking seven people, and he faces a federal charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon as well as seven aggravated-assault charges in Dallas County.
Investigations into the shootings that killed Scott and the other three victims remain ongoing. Authorities have not established whether the three incidents were connected or released a motive.
Dallas police and federal agencies have launched Operation Deep Cover, increasing patrols and security measures in Deep Ellum while investigators review surveillance footage and seek information from witnesses.
Townsend said Scott’s relatives were also mourning the other families affected by the shootings and wanted justice for every victim.
“Everybody needs justice,” she said. “We’re sorry and feel the other families’ pain.”
Scott had hoped to spend her life helping children learn. Instead, her family says, they are determined to keep her memory alive and ensure that the public remembers more than the circumstances of her death.
“Her name will live on,” Townsend said. “She will get justice. She’ll get it.”
