An 18-year-old Mississippi woman was fatally shot just hours after graduating

An 18-year-old Mississippi woman was fatally shot on Tuesday night just hours after graduating from the Murrah High School in Jackson. According to WAPT, police said the deceased, identified as Kennedy Hobbs, was shot multiple times at a gas station close to Sunset Drive.

Hobbs succumbed to her injuries at the scene of the incident and the motive behind the murder is yet to be established. On the day of the fatal shooting, Hobbs had earlier attended her high school graduation ceremony at the Mississippi Coliseum. She was even spotted posing on stage beaming with smiles and posing with her diploma.

“A loss of a younger person, especially just after she’s graduated, it’s really tough,” Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene said. “My heart goes out to her immediate family, to her mom, to her family, to her friends, her fellow graduates.”

The deceased’s uncle, William Edwards, also told the news outlet the incident has left the family shaken. Hobbs’ mother is a teacher for the Jackson Public Schools while another relative of hers was a member of the board.

“I’ve never felt this way and I’m trying to understand it, but at this point, it’s hard to process,” Edwards said.

Other family members who spoke to WLBT said the deceased teen was ready to take on life after graduation and she was so optimistic about the future. “Kennedy was loving; Kennedy was outstanding; everyone loved Kennedy,” said her Godsister Teiaudria Hawkins. “I can’t even describe the feeling; we are torn to pieces. We all are. From her classmates to her family to her friends–This is unbelievable. We just want to know why. What happened?”

Meanwhile, Hobbs’ relatives told WAPT her 21-year-old boyfriend also lost his life after he was fatally shot in April. It has, however, not been disclosed if the two murders are connected in any way.