A mother was out picking up dinner for her heartbroken niece who had just lost her boyfriend to gun violence when she was shot and killed, her family says.
Dale Henson, 54, was at Moon Star Carry-Out on Benning Road SE Tuesday night, when a man opened fire at the restaurant, shooting another man and a teenage boy, police said.
Then, police say the 15-year-old boy pulled out a gun and fired back. One of those bullets hit Henson in the head, police said. She died at the restaurant.
"Just want everybody to know that she was a loving person, and she didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to go like that," said Henson's daughter Tameka Keys, formerly Tameka Henson.
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Keys said her mom was picking up the food in an effort to comfort her cousin, who was heartbroken over losing her boyfriend to gun violence. He was killed on Sunday in Southeast D.C.
"She was just trying to help my cousin grieve. She was trying to make sure she was eating and doing everything she was supposed to do," Keys said.
"She was funny. She was joyous. She just wanted to live," Keys said.
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The 15-year-old boy was charged with second-degree murder in Henson's death. Police did not release his name.
Police are still searching for the man who opened fire.
"You shouldn’t be shooting when older people or kids are around. You shouldn’t be shooting period, but most definitely not when older people or kids are around," Keys said.
