Nationwide — Jada Sellers, a 17-year-old African American teen from Baltimore, Maryland, was fatally shot by her former boyfriend, 18-year-old Christian Hursey, on July 31. She remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks before dying from her injuries, while Hursey later died by suicide as police investigated the case. The shooting happened shortly after midnight in the 700 block of Lyndhurst Street. Surveillance footage showed her speaking with a man outside a home before she tried to leave through a gate. Investigators said the man then opened fire, hitting her in the throat and abdomen. People who knew Sellers later identified the shooter as Hursey, according to the Daily Mail.
Sellers was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where she spent nearly two weeks surrounded by family and loved ones. Police identified Hursey as the main suspect and obtained a search warrant for his Baltimore County home. When officers and a SWAT team arrived around 8:30 p.m. on August 20, police said they heard a single gunshot. They then found Hursey dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation later brought attention to Hursey’s family history. His father, Dominick Hursey, killed his mother, Chinika, in April 2017, when Christian was 4 years old. Court records show Chinika had previously sought protective orders and warned authorities that she feared her husband would kill her. She had described several incidents of domestic violence, including one in which Dominick allegedly grabbed her, twisted her arm, and put his hand around her neck.
In 2017, Dominick broke into Chinika’s home while wearing a hockey mask and shot her as she slept. He also killed her boyfriend, Steven Campbell. A prosecutor called the killings “a cold-blooded execution of two people” and said they left seven children orphaned. Dominick was convicted and remains behind bars. Adam Rosenberg, executive director of LifeBridge Health’s Center for Hope, said exposure to violence can increase the risk of someone later becoming a victim or perpetrator. “It’s horrific that this child who lost his own mother to gun violence is now repeating the cycle himself,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sellers’ family is preparing to say goodbye to a teenager they describe as a scholar, leader and active member of her school community. She was an honors student preparing to start her senior year at Milford Mill Academy. She served as vice president of the Student Government Association and loved dance and cheer. Her teacher Kyra Hamond remembered her as “a strong individual, a beautiful individual.” The family also faces the added pain of knowing the accused shooter was someone they had welcomed into their home. Her cousin Heber Brown III said he had eaten meals with the family and that Sellers believed he was her friend. “Jada thought he was a real friend,” Brown said. “He ultimately was not.” Her loved ones hope her story will raise awareness about violence against women and girls.