It's been a difficult week for the loved ones of 48-year-old Cassandra Jones. She was shot and killed Monday in the 1400 Block of Iberville Street and her killing was shared as a video on social media.
Relatives, who wish to remain nameless, described her as the life of the party.
"I think she left a legacy all her own," one family member said, "Cassandra was someone who did not need anyone to toot her own horn."
The family said that Jones was the mother of three daughters and grandmother to one beloved grandson.
"Sadly, her grandson may not remember her after this tragedy so I hope that if one day he might see these things when he grows up," One relative said, "I would like for him to know that, when she left this earth, he was the apple of her eye."
The family said the man accused of murdering her, 32-year-old BJ Brown, was someone she dated. Witnesses told Eyewitness News that BJ Brown shot Jones at least twice in the back at an apartment complex.
According to police, Brown was later arrested in northwest Tennessee after fleeing New Orleans and shooting a Tennessee cop during a traffic stop. He is currently behind bars at the Houston County Jail and is expected to face an attempted first-degree murder charge in Tennessee, plus the second-degree murder charge in New Orleans.
"We couldn't believe of all the things that could possibly happen, even knowing the type of person he was, that he would go this far, to do something so brutal and so cruel to a human who once maybe loved him," the family of Jones said.
Court records show that Jones filed a petition of protection accusing Brown of physical, mental, financial and sexual abuse, but she never went through with a restraining order.
Now as the family grapples with their tremendous loss, they wonder how or if they could've prevented this.
"I just wish I could've gotten to her sooner," A relative said, "I don't know that I could have changed it. Many times I tried to talk to her."
Her loved ones are left with aching hearts and a message for anyone in a similar situation.
"My message would definitely be to not underestimate the person you're with," one family member said.
"I've seen these people on TV saying just what we're saying right now, is "How did we get here?" Another family member said, "And this is a club that you don't want to be in."