'She was my strength': Nashville family mourns after woman dies in shooting
This story involves details of domestic violence. If you need assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Kimberly Jones-Mbuyi said she watched in horror as her daughter and husband were shot in front of her on Nov. 15.
The shooting took place inside Jones-Mbuyi's home on Vanna Court as the three of them hid in a bedroom. When the smoke cleared, she realized both her husband and daughter had been wounded. Her husband was shot three times and was in and out of the hospital in the days that followed, but has since returned home.
Carter was shot twice, leaving her in critical condition for a week. She died on Nov. 22, just one day shy of her 25th birthday.
"She was the family's anchor," her mother said. "She was beautiful inside and out."
Jones-Mbuyi said her husband, Tshibangu Mbuyi, who is Carter's stepfather, was a second father to her daughter and had been in her life since she was two. And while he is recovering from his injuries, his wife said he's also traumatized and shattered by the loss.
"He took those three bullets for her, catching one of them with his hands," she said.
The family still gathered for Thanksgiving in Nashville, Jones-Mbuyi said, trying to find things to celebrate as they mourn. They set up a "memory wall" full of photos of her daughter and prayed together, leaning on each other for comfort.
"It was beautiful being around family," Jones-Mbuyi said. "Though we break at times, we try to have happy thoughts and happy memories."
'She was my strength'
Police later arrested Carter's estranged husband, 27-year-old James Leggett, in the shooting. Carter had a full order of protection against him, according to the affidavit.
He currently faces charges of criminal homicide; attempted criminal homicide; aggravated assault; aggravated burglary; felon in possession of a weapon; aggravated stalking; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; and four probation violations.
Records show Leggett remained jailed Friday with a $1.2 million bail and is set to appear before a judge on Dec. 6.
Jones-Mbuyi said Leggett was making threats over social media and text messages and even visited the home of Carter's cousin looking for her the day of the shooting, leaving their family distraught. She said police met her and Carter at a parking lot near their Vanna Court home and accompanied them back, but left shortly after.
Within minutes, she said, Leggett was kicking their door down.
In the days that followed the shooting and her daughter's death, Jones-Mbuyi said social media posts and phone calls poured in from all over the country as people prayed for and supported them. She hopes her daughter's story connects with victims of domestic violence and sparks advocacy and change.
"She was my strength," Jones-Mbuyi said of her daughter. "Everybody's hurting, mourning, but still trying to be Michaela's voice."
Carter's cousin, 24-year-old Jayla Hodges, said she has been looking back on how giving, warm and loving her cousin was. She said they went on vacation together in September and she asked why Carter had packed so many extra clothes.
Carter told her she always brought extra clothes in case someone else needed anything.
"That's literally the kind of person she was," Hodges said. "She was always looking out for people. She was so giving. If there was any way she could take care of somebody, she would."
Funeral arrangements were still pending as of Friday. Jones-Mbuyi asked that people continue to pray for their family and for her husband's recovery.
Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Michaela Carter: Nashville family mourns after fatal shooting
