The Capital Region still continues to be plagued by unnecessary gun violence. Over the weekend a young mother was killed, right in front of her home.

According to the Daily Gazette on Sunday, around 10:30 p.m. a 32-year-old pregnant woman was shot and killed on Sixth Street in Schenectady. Jennifer Ostrander was a mother to seven children and she was six months pregnant with her eighth child when someone shot her and took her life.

Ostrander had just stepped outside and was sitting in a chair, with her two-year-old child in the doorway, when the shots rang out. Her one-year-old child was inside the house, in a crib, when neighbors heard multiple gunshots.

The young mother’s neighbor, Nick Monaco, said that he went outside after hearing the gunshots and he saw the young mother slumped over in a chair.

Another neighbor, Jason Briggs, says that he heard the gunshots but did not initially know what they were. Briggs said that he and his wife were at home when a bullet entered through their wall.

On Monday, about 75 people gathered to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Ms. Ostrander in front of her home.

Earlier last month, another young woman lost her life to gun violence. Ieasha Merritt was also pregnant when she was shot and killed in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood.

Sergeant Nick Mannix, with the Schenectady Police Department, expressed his frustration with the uptick in gun violence. He said, “It’s horrendous. Looking around Albany, Schenectady, Troy, the amount of gun violence from last year is very sad. There’s nothing good about a person senselessly losing their life.“

I have to agree with Sgt. Mannix on this. It’s sad and frustrating to see so many people losing their lives to gun violence. I especially don’t understand why someone would want to shoot and kill a pregnant woman.

Police say that the homicides are under investigation and if anyone has information, they should call the police.

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