Neighborhood sets up memorial for Tulsa teen

Updated: 5/29/2012 9:53 pm

Published: 5/29/2012 9:19 pm

A small memorial was set up on the corner of an East Tulsa neighborhood that is full of heavy hearts.

"Everyone is just in grief and in sorrow" said Miriam Hawkins. Hawkins and other neighbors have placed flowers, stuffed animals, wreaths and cards in the neighborhood where 17-year-old Kayla Ferrante was killed over the weekend.

Neighbors told FOX23 that they can feel the sadness permeating on the block. "It's tragic, just tragic," said Debbie Hodges, "She was just a teenager, just graduated."

Saturday, just before midnight, police responded to gunshots in the in the 12200 block of East 15th Street. TPD said Kayla Ferrante was a passenger inside a vehicle at the time of the shooting. Her boyfriend was driving and just around the corner from her parent's home when the shooting happened. Sargeant Dave Walker said the bullet pierced through the license plate of the car, through the trunk and hit Kayla in the back. TPD believes the killer might have used an assault rifle.

Investigators are working to find the shooter and determine a cause. "Nothing is off the table," said Sargeant Walker, "It could be these people were targeted, it could be the car was targeted, it could be a total random act, it could be a mis-identification of the car."

Neighbors said that Kayla's death has brought them to her knees, an overwhelming sadness that cards and flowers can fix, "My heart just really grieves for the family and the family of the boyfriend too," said Hawkins.

The Tulsa Police Homicide Unit is asking for anyone who may know something to call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS, the Homicide Tip Line at 918-798-8477, or e-mail homicide@cityoftulsa.org.

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KOKI FOX23 - Tulsa

AHOBBS - 6/1/2012 2:17 PM

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The gun is a critical detail,but we as a community need to focus on another life taken too soon and do whatever we have to do to protect our neighborhood and children. My prayers for her family everyday. We live in this neighborhood and alot has happend lately,we have to come together and stop this. RIP Kayla

WayneEDay - 5/31/2012 2:50 PM

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A "possible assault rifle?" What's that? They have absolutely no idea what kind of gun fired the round, and for every "assault weapon" caliber there are probably a thousand OTHER guns that will fire it. To blame "assault rifles" because they fire a "high powered" cartridge (i.e. anything but a .22LR) is just pandering to emotions.

rustystud - 5/31/2012 10:59 AM

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And six shots with no shell casings sounds like a revolver about 44 mag caliber would do this. those can be had for cheap at gun shows. did they see a rifle or is that just a guess or opinion? They want people to help find the killer but they give no details or facts making it easier for the murderer to hide. Its sad someone could do this to another human being but sadder noone saw a vehicle or license plate so we can hang the slime who did this

rustystud - 5/31/2012 10:57 AM

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rustystud - 5/31/2012 10:49 AM

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I think it was someone who didnt llike the boyfriend and just accidently killed the wrong person. i read in another article the boyfriend was just yards away. well thats kinda strange has the boyfriend been polygraphed or does TPD not own a polygraph? Kinda dumb they arent even mentioning where he was i heard he was in the car or outside the car.... somethings fishy here because there must be a motive. its either some fascist set up to make assault rifles illegal or the girl had some jelous guy after here. this wasnt random though. TPS needs to do their job and grill that boyfriend and question everyone at that school.

BRT4140 - 5/31/2012 5:48 AM

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@Caligula, you are right, notice also the line that she was shot by an assault rifle, not a murderer with a gun. For some so called police experts, there are only assault rifles. I would add though that any full power cartridge, i.e. .308, 30-06, could have done the same, as cars arent exactly bullet proof. This is a case of some officer trying to inflate is self importance by throwing out the term assault rifle when he really has no clue what the caliber was that killed this poor girl. Her and her family will be in our prayers, and we also pray that whoever did this is brought to swift justice.

Caligula - 5/31/2012 3:04 AM

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Poor family, TDP is stupid as an "assault rifle" doesn't have that much power. What they SHOULD be hunting for is a bolt action rifle, most likely a belted magnum caliber. Assault rifles are characterized by firing a sub-rifle caliber round through a weapon with selectable fire modes including full automatic or burst selection. Such a weapon would not, under most circumstances, be able to do what this bullet did and still have enough power left to do significant damage. Their police department should bring in some firearms experts from a police department that actually has a clue, because I saw nothing in the article to indicate assault rifle, not multiple close spaced shots, not cartridge casings found (bolt action rifles don't tend to leave them if the shooter is neat), etc, etc. Sounds like making a big assumption hauling out the assault rifle canard when belted magnums are actually rarer.

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