Community mourns loss of Baltimore County teen who died about two after she was shot

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Family and friends are remembering 17-year-old Jada Sellers as a loving, accomplished teenager who brought people together.

Sellers, a Milford Mill Academy student, died Wednesday after spending more than two weeks in the hospital following a shooting in Northwest Baltimore.

Her cousin, Rev. Heber Brown III, spoke with FOX45 on behalf of the family Friday. He said Sellers served as vice president of her school’s Student Government Association and was a member of the National Honor Society.

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He said she was also involved in dance, cheer and several other community organizations, and described her as “larger than life in a small frame.”

“You could not meet Jada and not fall in love with the person that she is,” Brown said.

The Milford Mill Academy Athletics program shared a photo of Sellers on Instagram Thursday, writing, “Words cannot express our feelings during this unimaginable time!” The post asked people to keep Sellers’ family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.

Brown said Sellers’ family spent more than two weeks at the hospital with her as she fought to recover.

“Even in that situation, Jada was bringing us together even tighter,” Brown said. “We camped out at that hospital, and we did everything that we could.”

Sellers was shot before 12:15 a.m. July 31 in the 700 block of Lyndhurst Street, according to Baltimore City Police.

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Officers found her suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds, and she was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Police said investigators recovered evidence of gunfire outside a home on the block.

Neighbors told FOX45 News the shooting happened as a group of young people gathered in the area.

“I just heard a bunch of young people over there having a party and all,” said one neighbor. “They was just out there talking and laughing and joking, and then I heard somebody arguing. And next thing I know, gunfire went off. That was it. Everyone ran.”

News of Sellers’ death has now left neighbors mourning the loss of a teenager they did not know personally.

“It’s very sad to see a young lady, a beautiful young lady, die like that at such an early age,” the one neighbor said.

Another neighbor, Jackie Hinton, said her heart goes out to Sellers’ parents.

“I don’t know, it’s a hurtful feeling for a parent to go through that,” Hinton said.

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FOX45 asked Baltimore City Police whether investigators have identified a suspect in the shooting. Police declined to comment further, saying the investigation remains open and ongoing.

Brown said Sellers’ family is now focused on keeping her memory alive.

“There’s an African proverb that says as long as you speak the names of those who passed, they never died,” Brown said. “For the rest of our lives, we’ll be speaking her name.”

Details about Sellers’ celebration of life are still being finalized, according to her family.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Baltimore Police homicide detectives at 410-396-2488 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.