The cousin of a 22-year-old mother who was the victim of a homicide in Newmarket last week is speaking out, saying she leaves behind a young son who meant everything to her.
Morgan Hopper, a cousin of Toronto resident Nicole Mercer, spoke to Global News on Tuesday about Mercer’s death.
“I grew up with her like a little sister, and to not have her here is weird. It’s hard,” Hopper said, speaking from Alberta.
York Regional Police said on Friday at around 1:30 a.m., officers received a report of an injured person in the Prospect and Gorham streets area.
Police said officers located Mercer, who was attended to by emergency services.
She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
Investigators previously said her death was deemed suspicious and homicide detectives took over.
“A post-mortem examination was conducted and the cause of death has been confirmed as a gunshot wound,” police said in a news release Tuesday.
Hopper said Mercer was at a house with a few other people when she was killed.
“I don’t understand who would want to do this to her,” Hopper said.
Hopper said Mercer was “an amazing” and “loving” person who just wanted to be a mother.
She said Mercer previously struggled with addiction issues, but had turned her life around, was working and had her own apartment and vehicle.
“When she found out she was pregnant with her son, her whole world flipped upside down. And … everything was perfect for her. She did everything she could for him,” Hopper said.
“Her son was her world…. That little boy meant more to her than anything and he loved his mom and I can’t imagine the pain of having to sit down and now tell him that he can’t see her anymore.”
Const. Amy Boudreau from York Regional Police said investigators are working to ensure “whoever is responsible for this is held accountable.”
“The investigation is active,” she said.
“We are looking into … more information to identify what happened that day. We are asking anyone with information to come forward immediately if they have not yet spoken to police.”
Hopper said she and her family want to see justice.
“It’s not fair and we’re not going to stop until justice is served for her,” she said.