ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A 21-year-old woman was killed by gunfire early Sunday morning in Brooklyn, Illinois, according to Illinois State Police. Her family is remembering her as someone who cared deeply for children, including her 3-year-old nephew.
Jon’Nae Abbott’s sister, Johnnetta Abbott, described her as a loving and outgoing person.
“My sister was a loving person. She was a person who cared about a lot of people; she would do anything for any and everybody. She was also outgoing; she loved always enjoying partying, having as much fun as she could,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
Johnnetta Abbott said her sister had a close relationship with her son that began when he was born.
“Since he was born, she swore that this has been her kid; they have a great relationship, like even to the point where he’ll sit up under her all day long and don’t even think about coming to me,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
Johnnetta Abbott said her sister had a habit of caring for children.
“She would do anything and everything when it comes to kids. Like, once she sees a kid, this is my kid now. She’s just a very helpful person and loving and will do anything for anyone, no matter what,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
Illinois State Police said they were called to the 200 block of Madison Street in Brooklyn, where a female victim had been struck and killed by gunfire. Jon’Nae Abbott’s family said she was in the parking lot of Club O.
“You didn’t die from a situation that was because of you. You didn’t die from a situation that was because of someone you were with. You died from a situation that had nothing to do with you at all whatsoever,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
Johnnetta Abbott said she learned her sister had been shot from another family member. She said when she arrived, Jon’Nae Abbott was already dead.
“Someone said that she got shot. That’s the only thing that I know. Once I got there, my sister was on the ground, covered up. And from my understanding of what I found out while I was there, is that someone had an altercation going on. And then my sister got shot in the head, an innocent bystander that had nothing to do with the situation at all,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
Illinois State Police said the shooting happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. A second shooting happened about two hours later, about a block away. Two people were shot and one man died. Both investigations remain open and ongoing.
Johnnetta Abbott said her family is preparing to bury Jon’Nae Abbott beside their mother, who died eight years ago. She said the hardest part is knowing her son will grow up without the aunt who loved him like her own.
“His aunt got taken away from him so early… That’s something that he’ll never get back,” Johnnetta Abbott said.
The family has created a GoFundMe for burial expenses; you can find the link here.
Anyone with information about the gunfire outside The O Night Club that killed Jon’nae A. Abbott can contact the Illinois State Police Zone 6 Division of Criminal Investigation at 618-346-3990 or the Brooklyn Police Department at 618-271-8424.
Anonymous tips may be submitted through St. Louis Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-8477 (TIPS) or through the P3 Tips app. Tips submitted through Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward.
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