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Loved ones honor victim of domestic violence at Southern homecoming tailgate

2 years 4 months 3 weeks ago Saturday, October 23 2021 Oct 23, 2021 October 23, 2021 9:26 PM October 23, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Family and friends of one of the victims killed during a week-long spike in domestic violence gathered to remember the 19-year-old at a tailgate at Southern University.

"Instead of me planning a venue of the 21st of next month for when my baby turns 20, I'm having to deal with funeral homes and graveyards," the victim's mother, Shawnrika James, said.

James' daughter Shayla James, a student at Southern, was killed on Wednesday by her boyfriend at her apartment on Burbank Drive—a month before her 20th birthday.

"She had already bought her outfit. She was already planning for this. So why not do it in her honor?" James said.

During the tailgate, purple balloons were released because it was James' favorite color.

Her boyfriend is now in jail for murder, but no one saw any signs of trouble in their relationship.

"This guy has taken my daughter from me, from a lot of people who really love her, and he's sitting in jail. And I want him to know, ask yourself, was it really worth it?" the victim's father, Edward James, said.

Shayla James was an education major in her sophomore year at Southern when she was killed. Her mother asks that people join #LongLiveShayla, for discussions about victims of domestic violence.

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