- A Mississippi teen was shot and killed hours after her high school graduation.
- Kennedy Hobbs was shot multiple times at a gas station hours after the June 1 ceremony, per the AP.
- Her killing comes amid an uptick in crime in Jackson, Mississippi, after a record year for homicides in the capital city.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
A Mississippi teen was shot and killed just hours after she received her diploma at her high school graduation earlier this week.
Kennedy Hobbs attended Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi. A video posted on Facebook shows 18-year-old Hobbs on Tuesday crossing the stage in her cap and gown at her in-person graduation ceremony.
However, the celebratory day turned grim after Hobbs was shot multiple times and died at a local Texaco gas station around 11 p.m. that night, the Associated Press reported. Police told The Washington Post that the gas station's surveillance cameras weren't working at the time of the killing and while authorities were seeking witnesses, no one had been arrested as of Friday in connection to the shooting.
Hobbs had a waxing business and was known for her love of fashion, according to WLBT-TV.
"Kennedy was loving; Kennedy was outstanding; everyone loved Kennedy," Hobbs' godsister, Teiaudria Hawkins, told the outlet. "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?"
Hobbs' boyfriend was fatally shot just months before her death in April, The Washington Post reported. Her killing comes amid an uptick in crime in the state's capital, with the city marking 57 in homicides in 2021 so far, according to the outlet.
The city in 2020 marked a record number of homicides with almost 130 killings, most of which were gun-related, law enforcement told the AP.