Family and friends of 15-year-old girl killed in Elsmere shooting honor her memory

By Daisy Kershaw

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    ELSMERE, Ky. (WLWT) — Family and friends of a Northern Kentucky teenager are mourning an unimaginable loss.

A 15-year-old girl was shot and killed in Elsmere and was remembered with a balloon release.

Police say her 15-year-old boyfriend is charged with her murder.

Roughly 100 people, including former classmates and cheer teammates, honored Tristen Smith, saying she was outgoing, full of life and incredibly kind.

It was a sea of pink and yellow, Tristen’s favorite colors, as her favorite people gathered, clutching bundles of balloons.

“We made a lot of good memories, and it’s really sad that she had to go and that it had to end this way,” said Tristen’s friend, Kaylee Chambers.

Elsmere police say the 15-year-old died Monday night after suffering gunshot wounds to the arm and the chest.

Her death is being investigated as a domestic violence situation.

“We’ll forever love her, we’ll forever miss her, she was taken way too soon. She never deserved it,” said Tristen’s lifelong friend, Kara Musgrove.

Her friends said Tristen was excited for her sophomore year, for more football games, more sleepovers and more time to be a kid.

These teenagers are faced with tragedy and trying to honor Tristen’s life while grappling with how it ended.

“There’s nothing that you can really say to describe how most of us or all of us here feel about this situation,” said her friend Amyiah Thompson.

Still, when they think of Tristen, friends say they will remember all the things she loved.

“She loved cheering, she loved to dance,” Kara said.

Tristen, deeply missed by all who knew her.

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