On Saturday, Bre’Asia Simone Johnson and her unborn son will be laid to rest. Both died at a local hospital after a shooting in Arlington. Police have not arrested their killer.
“I just want people to remember who she was as a person,” Martha Gutierrez said. “The type of person that she was. I mean, to be honest, not many people would do what she did. For somebody’s kids who weren’t hers. I don’t want her to be forgotten.”
Mother mourns her first childÂ
Gutierrez, 49, said Johnson was her first child and only daughter. The depth of the loss is almost hard to describe. Johnson’s stepfather joined Gutierrez and loved ones at Virginia Weaver Park in Cedar Hills to share her story.
“Just pray for us. Like, we’re devastated,” Litonion Allen said. “You know, we’re still trying to cope and get through all this. We’ve been shocked, you know, for the most part.”
Police detail shooting on I-20Â
According to police, the 29-year-old was in the vehicle with a driver they have not publicly identified. Because there have been no arrests, CBS News Texas is withholding his identity. Investigators said the shooting happened on I-20 in the westbound lanes near Bowman Springs Road before 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12. The victims pulled into a nearby convenience store.
Her family said she shielded children inside the vehicle who were not her own. Police said Johnson was taken to the hospital, where she died. The driver of the vehicle was treated. The children were not injured but were checked out.
Family calls Johnson a heroÂ
“Honestly, I feel like she was a hero. Had she not did what she did, it could have very well been one of the kids,” Gutierrez said. “But I feel like she did what she would have wanted anybody to do for her kids.”
Investigators said the shooting was isolated and not the outcome of road rage.
Mother of three rememberedÂ
Johnson’s loved ones said she was an amazing cook who also worked in insurance. They had the difficult task of trying to explain her death to her children: MaKai, 7; Meadow, 6; and Maverick, 2. Meadow was her only daughter. Her family said she was expecting another son.
“She showed up for everything. She showed up for the school functions. She was there for everything,” Gutierrez said. “We had to have Thanksgiving dinner with them today without her at the school. That was not easy. It’s not okay.”
Family seeks justice after tragedyÂ
As the family readies itself for the funeral, they also wait for justice to catch up with the person who took Johnson and her baby out of their lives.
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