Family, friends hold vigil for slain Fredericksburg woman allegedly killed by boyfriend

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - A Fredericksburg family is heartbroken after their loved one was allegedly shot and killed by her boyfriend over the weekend. On Monday, a vigil was held in her honor in the area she was killed Saturday night.

Antoinette Beverly's family said they felt it was appropriate to pay their respects here and remember the 26-year-old woman for who she was - a beautiful soul who just wanted to make people happy and give back to those who needed it.

Beverly's mother, Paulette Jett, and her sister, Reese, said they want to stay strong for Antoinette, but it was hard for them to hold back the tears on this night.

"She was a very, very bright girl and everybody that came in contact with her knew that she was a good person," said Reese.

On Saturday night, they got a tragic call from police informing them that their beautiful girl was taken from them.

"It was a phone call saying that she had a car accident, and then as we got out the door, it was worse than a car accident," said Beverly's mother.

According to police, they received a call about gunshots fired on the 300 block of Palmer Street. When they arrived, they found a car that crashed into a pole and inside the car they found Beverly in the driver's seat with a gunshot wound.

Police later arrested her boyfriend, 34-year-old Cortez Antonio Mills, with second-degree murder. It is still unclear what happened that led up to Beverly's death.

"It was a tragic loss for her," said Jett. "She was too young. Way too young."

Two days later, the pain is still there, and Beverly's family knows it is going to take time for them to heal and eventually find peace. But her memory will continue to live on through her tight-knit family and close friends who gathered at this vigil Monday night.