Parents are not supposed to bury their children but a Coon Rapids family will.
Nia Black's family is left with pictures and grief. Her mother, LaTanya Black, learned from St. Paul Police - her daughter was shot in the head.
Police say there was a fight in the parking lot of a strip mall at Larpenteur Avenue and Rice Street around 1 a.m. Saturday. When the crowd started to grow and the atmosphere shifted, Nia and her friends took off. Police say Nia Black was a passenger in the car when someone started shooting.
Nia Black, an Aveda School graduate, and small North Loop business owner was 23. Her business, Black Brooklyn LLC, also served as an outlet to help young entrepreneurs in the service industry.
Black, who styled celebrities like Star Jones and Super Bowl performers, has been a licensed cosmetologist since February of 2018. She was studying marketing at North Hennepin Community College.
Her sisters Cimone and Raven Black are pleading for the person responsible to come forward.
"We have never lost anyone this close before. In our life, never. Never even been to a funeral," Cimone Black said. "She worked hard. You would hear her keys jingle. She was out the door by 7 a.m. every day whether she was booked or not, and she was always booked.
"When you use your gift to serve others that person deserves your help. All she did was make people feel beautiful."
Raven Black, who flew an airplane before she drove a car, is Nia's youngest sister and best friend. Raven said her sister supported her when she chose to become a pilot.
"She always tried to make sure everyone got a fair shot and opportunity. If I wasn’t heard she would make sure I was heard and had a fair shot, too," she said. "To the person who ended my sister’s life, take responsibility for what you have done. I know there is no way you are walking around with a clear conscious. We always say Black Lives Matter. My sister is a Black life as well. It is not snitching if you take accountability. If someone will do it to my sister what makes you think they will not do it to your sister or your loved one."
Nia's family, especially her mother, believes someone knows who pulled the trigger.
"They said there were over 60 people out there with cameras. Someone saw something. You got to hold yourself accountable just like we as a Black community want to hold other races and communities accountable for how they treat us. We have to treat ourselves right, you have to speak out and let justice be served for Nia Black," LaTayna Black said. "As a mother I am breaking. How do you do funeral arrangements for a 23-year-old? This is a pain I wouldn't wish on any mother."
If you want to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers.