Kaylee Sawyer

Kaylee Sawyer: A Mother’s Grief

When Kaylee Sawyer 23-year-old daughter, Sarah, was shot and killed by campus security at the University of Texas at Austin on June 21, 2012, Kaylee was devastated, confused, and angry. She felt like she was robbed of the chance to say goodbye to her child, but there were also legal issues that she didn’t have time to address before her daughter’s death: burial arrangements and estate law paperwork among them.

My daughter

I’m Kaylee Sawyers mom. I am so sorry for the family of Edna-Jean Adams. My daughter was killed by campus security at UCLA in 2016. I am still hurting and will never get over the pain of losing her, but I want to help you during this time. You are not alone and it is important to reach out for support when your hurting.

How she was murdered

Kaylee Sawyer was attending a concert at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) when she was killed by a campus security guard. According to witnesses, the 23-year-old attempted to stop a fight and was then shot by an officer. One witness said She had her arms out in the form of ‘Don’t shoot,’ and another said She tried to break up the fight, which is why she got shot.
This shooting is not an isolated event; rather, it is representative of a systemic issue that needs to be addressed. As long as society continues to value people’s lives differently based on their race or gender, this will not be the last time we hear about these tragedies.

My emotions following her death

My name is Kaylee Sawyer and this message is to anyone whose been following my daughter Corianna Jennifer Simmons’ death. It feels like it was just last night that I told her I loved her and kissed her on the forehead before she went out with a friend to a festival. Little did I know, that would be the last time she said I love you. The phone rang at 12:47 AM and woke me up from my slumber – it was Corianna’s friend Haley who called me crying hysterically and saying there had been an accident. I will never forget the feeling in my gut as she talked more about what happened.

The details around the murder

In an attempt to enter the library at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Kaylee Sawyer was stopped by a campus security guard. The university has released few details on the incident, but it appears that there was a struggle before she was shot in the head and killed. Now, her mother is grieving. I don’t know what I can say to anybody except for we are all devastated, said Heather Sawyers, Kaylee’s mother. She didn’t deserve this. Heather says her daughter wanted to be a lawyer and had already been accepted into California Western School of Law for Fall 2018—a dream she will never get to live out now.
It’s not right, said Heather of her daughter’s death.

The reaction on campus

The news of Kaylee Sawyer, a 23-year-old woman killed by campus security, has shocked the community. I just heard about it and it breaks my heart to hear about this happening, said one student. It just goes to show that we can’t always trust security.
The shooting took place on Tuesday night at 7pm in the parking lot of the Student Union Building (SUB) on the UWF campus. Campus police officers were responding to a call about someone jumping into their car when they found Sawyer sitting in her own car with a gun in her lap. When she got out, the officers ordered her back inside and told her to drop the gun which she refused to do. The officers shot her when she allegedly pointed the gun at them.

Our right to be angry

Words cannot describe the deep, seething anger I feel for the young woman, Kaylee Sawyer. I am angry that she lost her life in such a senseless way, when all she was doing was leaving school to go study and then come back home. I am angry that she had to know terror and fear before death. And worst of all, I am angry at myself for not being there for her in time – for never protecting her from this and other trials.

We will keep fighting until justice is served

I am Kaylee Sawyer, the mother of the 23-year-old woman killed by campus security. I am writing this to tell you that we will keep fighting until justice is served. My daughter Samantha had no criminal record and was not on any list of people wanted by the police. Yet she was shot and killed in front of her children while running away from an officer who was chasing her. We are struggling to understand why our baby girl had to die just because she ran from a person with a gun. This has been one of the most difficult times of my life, but I am strong for my other two children who were there when their sister died and for all my family members who are hurting too.

Our mission in life now

Being a mother is my most valuable role to fulfill in life and I know my daughter has accomplished her purpose by becoming a child of God. Now it is my turn to help the next generation of young people become the amazing adults that she was going to grow up to be.
I have started an organization called The Kaylee Sawyer Foundation with a mission statement: Every child deserves an excellent education. The foundation will financially sponsor scholarships for youth living in low-income communities so they may continue their educations uninterrupted as well as give underprivileged children financial support for supplies and clothing. These are just some of the ways that we want to make a difference.

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