A 25-year-old Maryland woman was shot and killed in front of her 7-year-old son on his birthday, The Baltimore Sun reported.

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Renika Howard, 25, was killed in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore on Thursday afternoon, WMAR reported. She was shot at 5:21 p.m. and died at a local hospital from gunshot wounds to her upper body, the Sun reported.

A vigil was held for Howard on Friday in Baltimore. She was described by friends as a churchgoer who spent most of her time with her son and who was a well-respected, positive spirit in the community, the Sun reported.

Police have not determined a motive for the shooting and continue to investigate, WMAR reported.

"I am looking for answers," Howard's mother, Sherese Baynes, told the Sun. "She is a good girl, a good mom. Why? Why? I don't know."

“It has hit the hood,” neighbor Monica Johnson told the newspaper. “This touched Cherry Hill.”

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