‘She was an innocent bystander.’ Family of teen killed by stray bullet in 2021 hopes justice finally comes
In north Minneapolis, loved ones of 19-year-old Vanessa Jensen gathered on Wednesday morning to freshen up her memorial with new flowers, stuffed animals and balloons.
“Very outgoing, lot of fun, lot of happiness,” is how Travis Jensen described his daughter. “Every day you wake up you can’t believe it still.”
Vanessa was watching a pop-up street race on June 5, 2021, when she was hit by a stray bullet at North 22nd Avenue and North 2nd Street.
“She was an innocent bystander and she ended up getting shot and killed,” Travis said.
Community activist KG Wilson has grown close to Vanessa’s family over the last three years.
“This one to me angers me, because there were hundreds of people out here that night, so you can’t tell me that somebody don’t know,” Wilson said about no tips being reported. “Here we are three years later, family torn apart and no justice.”
There have been no arrests in the case.
“It hurts, it hurts a lot,” said Vanessa’s mother, Rachel Jensen. “I miss my daughter, every day.”
If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Minnesota, where you can report information anonymously.
“I know Vanessa wouldn’t want me to give up,” Rachel said.