‘Always sacrificed herself’: Woman fatally shot taking nephew home from school

A woman shot to death in Southeast D.C. Thursday afternoon was taking her nephew home from school at the time, according to her mother.

Olivia Graves, 24, and her 12-year-old nephew were getting a ride home with Graves’ friends when they made a stop in the area of Atlantic Street and 8^th Street.

“She was just getting a ride home, you know, with her friends,” said her mother, Ondraya Graves. “Her friends were driving; they were giving her a ride home.”

A confrontation became violent.

“She wasn’t involved in it,” Graves’ mother said. “She was just deescalating. The suspect came out not knowing what was going on and threatened to kill everyone in the car. So, he shot and shot Olivia. She was hit in the chest and then shot at others, even my grandson, who was in the car.”

Graves was taken to a hospital where she died.

Police arrested 62-year-old Maurice Jackson and charged him with second-degree murder.

“There was no justification,” Ondraya Graves said. “There’s not, absolutely no justification for coming out shooting. That’s just, that’s crazy.”

She said her daughter had a big heart and was in school to become an EMT.

“She died the way she lived,” she said. “She always sacrificed herself in order to take care of everyone else, to be there for other people.”

She said her family will do everything they can to make sure Jackson’s held accountable.

“That’s our next goal, just to follow through,” Graves said. “What’s going to be, and make sure that the courts know that she has a family. We care.”

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