Family and friends of mother and daughter killed in murder-suicide hold vigil and balloon release

Friends and family of Kiera Massenburg and her daughter Zoey Jones gathered on Thursday for a balloon release honoring their lives.

Massenburg and Jones were killed in a murder-suicide on Aug. 11 in Wilson County. Authorities said Massenburg’s boyfriend, Daquan Jones, shot both of them and two other people, before dying by suicide.

“I lost my mom to domestic violence, so this hits close to home,” One person said.

While many were thankful to be together Thursday night, many were wishing Massenburg and Jones didn’t have to die to make it happen.

“I’m gonna miss everything about her. She was just sweet,” said Coretta Johnson, Massenburg’s aunt. “If you met her, everyone just fell in love with her.”

Daquan Jones was released from jail just one day before the murder-suicide in Sharpsbug. Many still wonder how Jones, despite having a history of domestic violence towards Massenburg, was allowed to get close.

“There were red flags,” Johnson said. “We all tried to reach out and help her … she was really scared and it was just something that she was trying to get away from.”

Together, family and friends let the balloons go and spent the night grieving while holding onto a message: Be aware of signs of abuse.