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Family seeks justice for triple shooting that killed teacher’s aide: “Like a bad dream”

By Adam Thompson, Kelsey Kushner

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A family is devastated by the murder of Anntoinette Tunstall-Jennings, a Baltimore school teacher’s aide, who was fatally shot after watching her grandchild play basketball.

Tunstall-Jennings was shot and killed while in a vehicle Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the 5400 block of York Road in Baltimore. Police said a 29-year-old man and an 11-year-old girl were also shot in the vehicle, but are expected to survive.

Surveillance video obtained by WJZ shows two people approaching the car before shots were fired.

“This is a hard pill to swallow,” said Christopher Swain, Tunstall-Jennings’ cousin. “A hard pill to swallow. It feels like a dream. It feels like a bad dream that we just can’t wake up from.”

“They took a life we can never get back”

A Baltimore City Public Schools spokesperson confirmed that Tunstall-Jennings was a teacher’s aide at Waverly Elementary School. Her family said she was at her granddaughter’s basketball game at Tunbridge School before a fight broke out, and the gymnasium was cleared.

Moments later, and just five blocks away, Tunstall-Jennings, with four others in the car, including two children, were shot at, according to her family. Her son was shot and is out of surgery, and her two grandchildren — ages 11 and 4 — were grazed by bullets.

But Tunstall-Jennings was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

“They took a life we can never get back,” Swain said. “It stemmed from a fight at a basketball game, a game.”

“We want them to face justice”

Swain said Tunstall-Jennings was “the life of the party.” She was also a mother, a friend, a sister and a daughter.

Now, the family is focused on seeking justice.

“We want the right person, the right persons charged for this,” Swain said. “We want them to face justice. We want them to not feel but understand the pain they have caused this family.”

Letter from the schools

In a letter sent to families, the principals of Belair-Edison School and Tunbridge Schools acknowledge the fight happened, but said it was quickly de-escalated by staff.

“Please be assured that The Tunbridge School and The Belair-Edison School are committed to the safety and security of every student,” the principals said in a joint statement. “Please know our schools followed all safety procedures, and school police carefully monitored and responded to the situation.”

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