An innocent mom of six was killed when a stray bullet hit her in the head as she was driving home in Indiana — with her eldest daughter hearing her final cry of “Oh, Jesus!” as they talked on the phone.
Kia Tidwell, 42, was driving past a McDonald’s in Gary late Friday when shots rang out even as police responded to a disturbance there, ABC Chicago reported.
The mom of six — who was also a grandma — was talking on the phone to eldest daughter Islynn Tidwell when the bullet struck her in the head as she drove to her home in neighboring Portage.
“I just heard people shooting, and she cried, ‘Oh, Jesus!'” the grieving daughter recalled.
Kia Tidwell, 42, was shot and killed by a stray bullet while driving home on Friday. GoFundMe“And that’s when I heard her car skirt off, and she crashed into the tree right there, and the phone call ended.”
Tidwell was pronounced dead at the scene, while the suspects fled on foot and remain at large. She was a mom of six, with her youngest child just 4, and also a grandmother to a 2-year-old girl, her family said.
She was heading home to Portage from nearby Gary, a city she previously lived in and still loved, her family said.
Tidwell was a mother of six and a grandmother to one. Jordan Tidwell/Facebook“She didn’t live here anymore, but she defended Gary tooth and nail,” her sister, Isley Tidwell, told the outlet.
“In the end, for her to be taken out by all the people she advocated for, it’s sad.”
Tidwell’s mother, Charlotte Tidwell, vowed to keep talking about the horrific shooting until she finds justice.
“We going to take it further. We’re going to take it as far as we can. It don’t stop here. We can’t allow it to stop here,” the grieving mom said.
Isley, Kia Tidwell’s sister, said her sister always defended the city of Gary. FOX32 ChicagoA GoFundMe to help Tidwell’s family says she worked two jobs to support her large family.
“She was no stranger to her children’s schools helping and volunteering with sports. Everyone knew her, the loudest mom at the boys’ games. The one usually cooking for the team, traveling from one game to the next no matter how far she had to drive she was committed to seeing them to the next level,” the fundraiser said.
“She always put forth 100% effort helping others, mentoring others giving when she didn’t have to give,” the fundraiser added. “Kia Tidwell was confident, fearless, self-less, fabulous, loved life and adored her family.”
Tidwell’s family is calling for justice in her death. Kia Tidwell/FacebookGary Police Chief Derrick Cannon called on the “multiple” witnesses to come forward and “respond to this senseless, terrible act.”
“Enough is enough,” said Mayor Eddie Melton.
“This is a call to action for the community to step forth to figure out what can we do collectively as a community so we can prevent this from happening again,” Melton said. “We stand right with them, we stand by them. This is not just their loss. It’s the city of Gary’s loss.”






