Community grieves over young Tacoma mom shot dead in alley
TACOMA, Wash. - Police are still searching for the suspect who killed a young mother and nursing student in Tacoma.
Tyliah Young, 22, was discovered last weekend lying in an alley shot in the head. A killer ended her life, abandoned her body, and dozens of people likely walked right by - for days - without knowing she was there.
The community is outraged over the cold-blooded shooting.
One neighbor, Valerie, says Tyliah's body was lying less than a minute's walk from her front door.
"As soon as you get off my front porch, it's 50 paces - exactly 50 paces from my front porch," says Valerie, who doesn't want her last name used - for her own safety.
"I just feel horrible. … I didn't know she was here," she says. "If I would've known she was here, I would've taken care of it. I didn't do anything because I didn't know."
No one reported Tyliah Young missing for two days. Then, a Tacoma family discovered her body last weekend in their back alley in a blackberry patch, near the garbage, in the 1200 block of South Ainsworth Avenue.
It was at that spot where people gathered Saturday to say a blessing, and to "reclaim" the crime scene for the Hilltop community.
Tyliah Young's name is now flagged - added to dozens more. Tacoma's Associated Ministries group wants these crime victims to be remembered, while hoping to comfort a suffering community.
"We meet the grief head-on," says Carol Ramm-Gramenz, an elementary school counseler.
She was representing the victim's two little daughters at Saturday's memorial. She visited with them at school every day.
"They were just full of light and love, they were smart and energetic - absolutely the most beautiful girls imaginable," she says.
Now the girls are back with family in New York.
"There's two little girls now that have to grow up without a mom," says Valerie.
After everyone leaves the memorial and the candle burns out, Valerie must stay.
"I live here. This is my neighborhood. Mine. This just doesn't happen - shouldn't happen, period," she says.
Young's family reported her missing on Jan. 11, but authorities say she may have been shot days earlier.
Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County is offering a $1,000 reward.
Tyliah Young, 22, was discovered last weekend lying in an alley shot in the head. A killer ended her life, abandoned her body, and dozens of people likely walked right by - for days - without knowing she was there.
The community is outraged over the cold-blooded shooting.
One neighbor, Valerie, says Tyliah's body was lying less than a minute's walk from her front door.
"As soon as you get off my front porch, it's 50 paces - exactly 50 paces from my front porch," says Valerie, who doesn't want her last name used - for her own safety.
"I just feel horrible. … I didn't know she was here," she says. "If I would've known she was here, I would've taken care of it. I didn't do anything because I didn't know."
No one reported Tyliah Young missing for two days. Then, a Tacoma family discovered her body last weekend in their back alley in a blackberry patch, near the garbage, in the 1200 block of South Ainsworth Avenue.
It was at that spot where people gathered Saturday to say a blessing, and to "reclaim" the crime scene for the Hilltop community.
Tyliah Young's name is now flagged - added to dozens more. Tacoma's Associated Ministries group wants these crime victims to be remembered, while hoping to comfort a suffering community.
"We meet the grief head-on," says Carol Ramm-Gramenz, an elementary school counseler.
She was representing the victim's two little daughters at Saturday's memorial. She visited with them at school every day.
"They were just full of light and love, they were smart and energetic - absolutely the most beautiful girls imaginable," she says.
Now the girls are back with family in New York.
"There's two little girls now that have to grow up without a mom," says Valerie.
After everyone leaves the memorial and the candle burns out, Valerie must stay.
"I live here. This is my neighborhood. Mine. This just doesn't happen - shouldn't happen, period," she says.
Young's family reported her missing on Jan. 11, but authorities say she may have been shot days earlier.
Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County is offering a $1,000 reward.
Im going to miss you girl. :'( RIP
I hope the Tacoma Police can find the creep who did this. I'm sure he will strike again. This was an execution.
Miss Young has 582 Facebook Friends. Which one did it?
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this black on black crime has to stop before it get out of control.
 @nunof uors What makes you think this is a black on black crime? There is no mention of race at all in this article. From the picture I wouldn't have even known this lady was black until you said something. Is she black?Â
 @snow surfer Are you serious?
Shouldn't we be outraged at all murders? Just pick and choose which ones are more compelling? Older gentleman punched and dies later...no biggie. Tuba man....no biggie. Young single mom is killed now the community is outraged???  I'm more outraged at the lack of  criminals being held responsible for their actions!
TIT for Tat, Grief for Grief, You can run you can hide, you will be found and justice will be done on to you. Don't think its not looking over your shoulder right now. Chicken little said the sky is falling, you had better believe he was right!
Shot in the head in a back alley in Tacoma? Gee I wonder what lead up to this.
Some of these comments are disturbing. A mother Died. She provide for her kids. What does age or how she dressed or anything that judges her have to do with the case. Stop assuming and start helping find her killer. Those baby girls lost their mom and they have to understand that. Her children are young and its not fair of you to post negative comments when her family probably reads them. My prayers go out to the family. I hope her killer is found and justice is brought.Â
too many questions. reported missing on the 11th? possibly shot days earlier? who had the girls in the interim? why wait days to report a loved one missing?  this story is sad for a number of reasons. hope the children are in a loving home.
@jennieb Based on other news reports the majority of her family is in NY, she planned to move back. Sometimes when people live in different states from their families, they may not talk everyday. I too wondered where her daughters were during that time, felt sick wondering if those poor girls were alone wondering where their mother was.
and no one heard the fatal shot to the head?
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Read that her daughters are 5 and 7. Â A mother at 15. Â Tragic all the way around.
My theory is that the boob tattoo, the exposed bra, and the sequin dress increase your odds of being shot by at least 200%. Â Not a value judgment, mind you, merely an actuarial estimation.
 @heavyweather Thank you for demonstrating that no matter how stupid some comments are, there is always someone like yourself working hard to make an even dumber comment.
@heavyweather Your a scumbag and moron. Please dont breed. Your a waste of air as it is.
 @heavyweather Thanks heavy, that the Moron statement of the day.
You're basically saying she's to blame that someone shot her?
 @heavyweather What a callous thing to say about someone's murdered daughter. Go crawl back under your rock.
No mention of dad.
 @Throbbinhood  I saw a blog post by Tyliah written in 2009 saying that she had been with the father of her daughters since she was 13, and that whatever problems love runs into, love should be able to get through. Currently the father of the girls has their picture posted on his Facebook page and calls them his princesses.Â
 @behindthebluewall 13? Really?Â
@DT @behindthebluewall Yes they are split because he had a baby with another girl so they are not together. It is spelled out on her myspace page.
 @behindthebluewall  @Throbbinhood Thank you for finding that out. I am glad that there is a father in the picture, in one way or another.Â
 @Throbbinhood Maybe he is in New York but unable to take on the kids due to whatever and his parents are helping out. Just because there is no mention of a dad does not mean that there is not one.Â
@Just my say Thank you for straightening me out on that.
@Jordan Yes, you were correct. I usually research before I post. more people should do the same before jumping down other's throats.
 @Pollywannacracker Thank you I was correct not to assume anything about him except the fact he wasn't mentioned in the article.Â
 @Just my say The point is that I am making is you said I needed to get my facts straight before assuming. And I was not assuming anything all I said was I thought it was odd the dad was not mentioned, agreeing with Thobbinhood. You said I was assuming something and looks to me you have done quite a bit of that assuming and exploring your own angles about the dad.
@Jordan The dad has some connection but he got someone else pregnant and she was no longer involved in a relationship with him.
 @Jordan It seems to me that your trying to prove a point however, it is just going over my head and I am not getting it. What is it?
 @Jordan I did not read about a warrant or her dad reporting her missing, I just see that her family reported her missing on Jan 11. I am going to take a guess that you are reading two different story's about this. I am not assuming anything, I am just trying to show that there are reasons why he was not mention. I am glad that the children have a dad and I hope this works out for the best for them.Â
 @Just my say Also he (dad as you say and assuming) could feel like crap for not reporting it sooner.  In a article said by her dad: During a phone call with her father, she said she had to appear in court Jan. 9 to take care of a warrant and would then be on her way. Young never showed up for court. Her dad reported her missing two days later.Â
 @Just my say So you say that the family and police could be giving "him just enough rope to hang himself" what are you assuming by that comment?
 @Jordan Honestly there are so many people that judge you for your past and not of who you are today, that can make him not want to be mention. He could feel like crap for not reporting her sooner (if it was him that did report her) and just don't want the world to give him crap over it, the media did not get his info, or it could be that the family and police are giving him enough rope to hang himself. I really don't know why he is not mention. Whatever the reason is, I hope it is a good one that is in the children best interest.
 @Just my say Also I am not assuming anything. Just finding it odd that there is no mention of dad.
 @Just my say Yes I am trying to do that. I took a look at her face book and now mention that I could find of a dad. Pretty little girls though.
 @Jordan You should explore all angles of possibility's before you assume anything.Â
@Just my say....The new article says nothing about dad. Even when it says the girls are back with family in New York it still does not mention back with dad. Seems odd but I am thinking dad is not in the picture.
Not sure what happened here, but I wish people were more careful about the company they keep. Single moms, be careful of who you let in your life. No relationship is worth your life and your kids growing up with out a parent. So sad for her daughters.
 @Pollywannacracker I'm not sure but I remember reading some things on another news site about that. The story is not as it's being reported here.Â
@DT Hi DT, yes I read the other articles as well as her myspace and fb page.
 @Pollywannacracker IF and I mean IF it was the company she kept, she would not of known. The ones that hurt you are the ones you least expect. She may have always thought she was keeping good company.Â
@Just my say I appreciate that perspective, however in some cases people do know if they are running with a rough crowd. Sooner or later, they will turn on the people around them, it happens all the time.
@Pollywannacracker Why jump to conclusions and assume it the company she kept?!
@1opine Because she already had a court date to deal with a warrant why she was reported missing, she never showed. As I said initially, Not sure what happened, however there are indicators (e.g. warrant) that perhaps some unwise past choices had been made. I'm I knocking her, no way. I read all the news articles and used google.
 @1opine  @PollywannacrackerÂ
The majority of people who are the victim of homicide are killed by people they know. Â This is epecially true for women. Â You can look up the figures on the FBI website. Â I don't think she's jumping to conclusions on this one. Â Odds are, she knew the person who murdered her. Â
@jules @1opine Exactly, well said. Even if they don't know the person, they were in the same crowd or at a party/gathering. Like that nut last year to shot those people at a party and then killed the army ranger. He was flashing a gun at the party.
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It is highly unlikely I'll be shot at a party where people are flashing guns, I don't have friends like this or attend events where people are comfortable bringing and flashing guns.