Grandmother killed after graduation ceremony laid to rest

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes to an 80-year-old mother and grandmother who was killed by a stray bullet on Xavier University’s campus while leaving her grandson’s high school graduation.

A funeral was held on Friday for Augustine Greenwood.

“Very hard, very, very hard. I just can’t believe it,” said Rosell Taylor. “She was my sister-in-law, just like a mother to me.”

“It was tragic. Stuff like that shouldn’t happen at a graduation,” said Greenwood’s great neice Shafrenia Parker.

More: Warrants obtained for 4 in connection to shooting death of grandmother at graduation ceremony

“It’s unbelievable, you know, the violence needs to stop,” said Taylor.

Family members wore Greenwood’s favorite color: purple.

“When you lose someone like that in the neighborhood at 80 years old, you’ve lost a legend,” said Rev. Patrick McDowell.

New Orleans Police Supt. Shaun Ferguson attended the funeral an hour after announcing arrest warrants were obtained for the four people believed to be involved in Greenwood’s killing.

“It brings justice to our family. It’s awesome because we don’t really have people to die from a gunshot, you know, in our family, so it’s very awesome,” said Parker.

“We need a lot of progress in this city, you know, the preachers need to get together, the teachers need to together and families,” said McDowell.

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