She held her grandchild until the end

Described as quiet, humble, and deeply rooted in her faith, 48-year-old Tamika Cime was “a Christian, a God-fearing woman,” her family said, someone who kept to herself, but held her family close.

On Monday night in a quiet home on Wilton Street, Centerville, on what should have been an ordinary night, Tamika sat on her bed, laughing, talking, and sharing food with her mother.

In her arms was her one-year-old grandson.

Moments later, gunfire shattered their conversation.

A bullet tore through the home as a gunman chased another man nearby. When the shots rang out, Tamika’s mother, Christine Nottage, screamed for the children to get down.

Then came the silence.

“When I look at the baby in her hand, that’s when I realised she got hit,” Christine recalled to the Tribune. “The baby was full of blood… and the blood coming from under her.”

Tamika never let go.

She was the planner, organiser, the person who made sure everyone was ready whenever the family travelled. She was the one who thought ahead and cared.

At D.W. Davis Junior High School, where she worked as a tuck shop supervisor and janitress, her loss has left a deep wound.

“She was dedicated, loved, and respected,” the school shared. “Her untimely death has left us shattered.”

To those who knew her, Tamika was warm and consistent.

“She was a decent, genuine person,” said family friend Michael Hepburn. “They good people… don’t bother anyone. Always home.”

Her sister, Deja McDonald, called her “the epitome of humble.”

“I could not ask for a better big sister,” she wrote. “You were loving, caring, and devoted… inside and out.”

“This is truly a nightmare,” her sister said. “You didn’t deserve this… We will fight for you. Justice will take place.”