SEATTLE — Two-and-a-half months after a deadly shooting, we are learning about the victim in a deadly shooting in Shoreline, 50-year-old BillyJo Kaufman Perkins.
"She's my sister and I loved her, and if I could have been there to protect her and help her I would,” said Cheri Bishop.
Bishop, who lives just outside of Portland, can’t stop thinking about what happened more than 200 miles away in Shoreline.
"It is horrifying,” said Bishop.
On May 18th around 10 p.m., BillyJo Kaufman Perkins was walking her dog at her apartment complex. At the same time in the same parking lot, a group of people were walking by. Prosecutors say video shows 16-year-old Jaden Taylor pointing a pistol at young female.
"She saw a young man pointing a gun at a little girl,” said Bishop. "She went to put a stop to it. She went to intervene."
According to court documents, Taylor spun around and shoved Perkins, then shot her three times at “extremely close range,” killing her.
Another teen standing nearby was shot and wounded.
"They were able to repair the damage and he is going to live. So now two kids get to live because my sister lost her life,” said Bishop. "I want her to be remembered as a hero."
Jaden Taylor took off. However, days later, deputies gathered enough evidence to make an arrest.
"Honestly, I don't know how to navigate these waters. I am just doing the best that I can,” said Bishop.
The family's focus now is on justice. BillyJo's mother, Marianne Derryberry, has been struggling to deal with the loss of her daughter exactly 11 months after she lost her husband, BillyJo's father. to cancer. To help, Bishop has been raising funds so the family can make the frequent four-hour trips to follow the court case.
"I pray everybody I know never has to go through anything like this," said Bishop. "I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
Bail is set at $2 million for Taylor who is being held at a youth detention facility. He has been charged as an adult. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for later this month.