GENERAL NEWS
17-Year-Old, Who Is Reportedly Rapper Trina’s Niece, Shot and Killed in Miami
Family members of Toni Chester say she was with her boyfriend, who was also injured, when she was fatally shot in Miami
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 11: Rapper Trina attends Tune Chats – Honoring Trina on July 11, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
A 17-year-old who is reportedly the niece of rapper Trina was fatally shot in Miami, Florida. Two others were injured in the incident.
On Wednesday at roughly 12:30 a.m., police were called to Northwest 13th Avenue and 62nd Street where a girl — later identified as Toni Chester by her relatives — had been fatally shot, per Miami’s WSVN.
The Miami Police Department and medical examiner were reportedly at the scene where officers gathered around a black Mercedes that had been hit with multiple bullets. A window and the rear windshield were also broken, the outlet added. At the time police arrived, the vehicle was a mile north of where the shooting took place.
Authorities have not identified Chester as the fatal victim; however, her family has confirmed it is her, WSVN reports.
The Miami Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Per Miami’s ABC affiliate Local 10, CBS Miami and NBC 6 South Florida, Chester — who was lovingly known as “Suga” — is the niece of rapper Trina. The Miami native has not publicly spoken out about the loss as of Wednesday evening; however, Bobby Lytes, who is Trina’s cousin and Love & Hip Hop: Miami costar, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
Authorities are still looking for any potential motive, and her relatives want to know why Chester was in the area since she didn’t live nearby, WSVN reports.
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Family members told Local 10 that Chester was with her boyfriend, who was also reportedly shot. Her relatives also told CBS Miami that Chester was walking from a local corner store when shots were fired.
“The woman who was pronounced deceased on the scene was there visiting. She didn’t live in that precise area,” Miami Police Officer Kenia Fallat told WSVN. “We don’t know who was the intended target, but definitely, it was a very big scene, and we still are trying to work on getting more answers.”
Fallat also said two men were shot and treated at Ryder Trauma Center. “They’re stable at this point,” she added. “They are being attended to. Our last update was that they’re stable and they’re in their mid-20s.”
“We’re still trying to piece the puzzle together, there’s an additional scene that could be related,” Fallat continued. “We’re still trying to figure out how it fits in with our incident, so there’s a lot of more questions than we have answers.”
Family members said that Chester anticipated starting her senior year of high school.
“It’s sad, I know her from when she was a kid,” family friend Sparky Cunningham told WSVN, later adding of the shooter, who is still at large. “You know, it would be easier just to turn themselves in. It would be easier on they self. I got faith in the judicial system, they gonna get caught.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS and could receive a $5,000 reward, WSVN added.
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