‘The most painful thing I’ve witnessed’: Parents remember woman killed in Capitol Hill shooting

The family and friends of 20-year-old Essence Greene-Madden are remembering and honoring her memory after she was shot early Sunday morning in Capitol Hill. Essence died early Wednesday morning from her injuries.

“To see her take her first breath and then to watch her take her last, to witness that, it’s the most painful thing, I’ve ever witnessed in my life,” Tina Madden, her mom, said. “Our daughter was innocent and she had a whole life ahead of her.” Essence had just celebrated her 20th birthday last month and wanted to become a respiratory therapist.

“She was very outgoing, she was very loving, caring, all her friends say she’s the life of the party,” Tina said. Essence was with one of her older sisters and some friends at Capitol Hill Block Party.

“That was her passion, she loved to dance,” Tina said.

It was around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday that things took a turn. Hundreds of people and several cars blocked the intersection of East Pike and Broadway. Dash camera video from Seattle Police shows unruly and defiant crowds forcing police to back off and monitor from a distance. Around 4:00 a.m. SPD said there were about 100 people left in the area and that’s when gunfire erupted, injuring three and eventually killing Essence.

“She was trying to leave and she just didn’t make it,” Tins said. “She was gunned down like an animal.” Essence was taken to the hospital and her parents received the phone call that their daughter had been shot.

“I screamed from here to Harborview because I just prayed to God to spare my baby’s life, please let her live but God had other plans, he had other plans, he needed her more than we did,” Tina said. Her family is now grief-stricken and asking that anyone who saw what happened, call the police.

“All I’m asking is if anybody seen something, reach out,” Eldon Madden, her father, said. “This is an innocent child, my child. Let justice happen that way that’s all I ask as a father.” The family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs.

You can donate here.

The family said any leftover donations will go to helping other victims of gun violence and their families.

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