A young woman who dreamed of attending college and often volunteered to help others was remembered by family and friends still shaken by her senseless killing.
Jada Gonzales, a senior at Albuquerque Academy, was shot and killed on Dec. 18 while attending a house party in northwest Albuquerque near Pat Hurley Park.
“The day before she had passed away, she was working,” Kateri Sanchez, the victim's mother, told KRQE. “She volunteered to make these signs for the library and I think that in itself speaks of how she gave her time.”
Jada, 18, enjoyed spending time with kids, the KRQE report said. She worked at Sharky’s Cuts for Kids barber shop and as a camp counselor at a city community center.
“She was so full of life, she was starting to come out of her shell,” her father Jasper Gonzales said.
After graduating from Albuquerque Academy, Jada hoped to attend Texas Christian University and had made preliminary plans to visit the campus in February. But those plans tragically ended on Dec. 18 when police were called at 12:49 a.m. to the 5200 block of La Bajada Road NW.
“Even still, it feels very, very unreal,” Sanchez said. “Sometimes it feels like we’re just waiting for her to come through the door.”
Police called the investigation into the shooting “complex,” considering the number of people who were at the party.
“We do know that this shooting stemmed from a house party with alcohol, uninvited and underage guests and the presence of firearms,” Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Chief Harold Medina said in the days after the killing. “That is a deadly mix that often leads to tragedy. I am truly saddened by the senseless death of a promising young member of our community with great hopes and aspirations.”
While Jada may be gone, her parents say she will never be forgotten, because they believe she’s here in spirit; Gonzales said.
“We’re going to honor her by just keeping the happy memories alive of her and trying not to be so sad," Gonzales said. They also said they are incredibly grateful for all of the support they have received, as a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $20,000 for the family and funeral expenses.
No details have been released by Albuquerque Police pertaining to the case. Anyone with video evidence or information about the case is asked to contact APD or visit the evidence submission portal.
