Janelle Monáe Mourns Death of Cousin Killed in Drive-By Shooting

Janelle Monáe is mourning the death of her cousin, who was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting on Tuesday (Aug. 30).

Natasha Hays, 38, was shot several times in her Kansas City home by a gunman, according to Fox4 (via Billboard).

Monáe took to Twitter to grieve the loss and address the violence in her hometown. “Gun violence has struck home. My beautiful 1st cousin was murdered. She was a mother of 3. Loved by her community. #NatashaHays #sayhername,” she tweeted. “#KansasCity #Gunviolence is still keeping our city in a dark place. The fear of ‘who is next?’ never leaves. Praying4more light. Help us. Nobody deserves to lose their mother, sister, cousin, friend, etc to the hands of evil. Evil has no race.”

Gun violence has struck home. My beautiful 1st cousin was murdered. She was a mother of 3. Loved by her community. #NatashaHays #sayhername

— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) August 31, 2016

#KansasCity #Gunviolence is still keeping our city in a dark place. The fear of "who is next?" never leaves. Praying4more light. Help us.

— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) August 31, 2016

The singer also revealed that she has been trying to console her uncle following his daughter’s death and admitted that she feels “helpless” during this tragic time.

Hearing your uncle on the phone while he tries to make sense of his daughter being murdered is the most helpless feeling in the entire world

— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) August 31, 2016

But Monáe, an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, is also using social media to help find the shooter. “Help us find her killer,” she told her followers.

Details are scarce regarding the shooting. According to KansasCity.com, a neighbor identified the suspect’s vehicle as a “gray car with a sunroof and spoiler.” Still, no arrests have been made.

Janelle Monáe Mourns Death of Cousin Killed in Drive-By Shooting : Rap-Up