Family Of Grandmother Killed By Stray Bullet Continue Search For Suspect
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More than one month after a grandmother was shot and killed in north Minneapolis, her family still has no answers.
Fifty-eight-year-old Birdell Beeks was sitting in her minivan at about 6 p.m. on May 26 at Penn and 21st avenues north.
A stray bullet from gunfire on that street hit Beeks and killed her. The innocent bystander was driving her teenage granddaughter at the time.
Beeks' family is now asking people for help face to face; hoping those who know the person responsible will finally come forward.
"This week has been really hard for me because I know she's not coming back," said Beeks' daughter, Sa'Lesha Beeks. "And the person that did this to her is still walking the streets."
Beeks' daughters printed flyers with information and their mother's photograph to distribute.
Her family members and friends are asking anyone if they saw anything the evening she was caught in the middle of gunfire she had nothing to do with.
The family believes people are afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation.
"Being a 'snitch' is not being a community member who has seen a crime and is coming forth with information that they know," Sa'Lesha said.
The family plans to continue distributing flyers and information about their mother's death.
They want to hold a community gathering on July 16 in the same spot where Beeks was killed.
"I'm in this for the long haul until this person is found," Sa'Lesha said.
The Beeks family says Minneapolis police officers have told them they are developing leads in the case.
