MINNEAPOLIS — K.G. Wilson arrived in a north Minneapolis alley Thursday with balloons and decorations in hand, adding to a memorial he had started the day before.
The memorial was at the site of a New Year's Eve shooting, which took the life of Monique Baugh, 28, a realtor and mother of two.
"I just wanted to clean it up and let [her family] know, from me... and the community that this is our way of showing love," said Wilson, a longtime Minneapolis peace activist.
Minneapolis police say Baugh was shot in the alley near Russell and 14th Ave N around 6:30 p.m. New Year's Eve. They say she was taken to North Memorial Medical Center, where she died a short time later.
Baugh's uncle, Michael Williams, told KARE 11 Thursday he believes the shooting is connected to one just an hour earlier, at Baugh's mother's house about five miles away, which Williams says injured the father of Baugh's children.
"She didn't deserve that," Williams said during a phone call with KARE 11, saying the mother of two daughters, ages one and three, had a "heart of gold."
Williams said he didn't know why Baugh was in the alley that night, but said he doesn't believe she knew her killer. He emphasized Baugh was a good person who wasn't involved in gangs or drugs.
Police haven't said whether the two shootings are related, but say they are investigating both. No one is in custody yet.
Wilson wants anyone who knows anything to come forward.
"To the people that did this, I just want to say to them, I don't know what happened, but I do know you brought pain to a family," he said. "Anybody who knows anything, you are just as guilty."
Baugh worked as a realtor for Kris Lindahl Real Estate for almost a year before she was killed. CEO Kris Lindahl released the following statement:
“Monique has been a part of our team for almost a year. She made a big impact on us during that time. She was a beautiful person who was kind and compassionate to everyone. She was very driven and was a joy to work with. Monique was a loving mother who always put her children first. Our entire team is grieving her loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this incredibly difficult time.”