AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The family of a 25-year-old Augusta woman shot and killed earlier this month is speaking out, demanding answers.

Khyla Rodriguez was found shot to death on Cameron Drive on May 15. Richmond County investigators have questioned three people, but no one has been charged in connection with her death.

Her mother, Shawna Holder, and brother, Valante Holder, spoke about the moment they learned she was gone and the son she left behind.

A fresh start cut short

Khyla Rodriguez came to Augusta for a fresh start. Her brother said he wanted her closer and wanted her safe.

“She had a situation going on at the time, and me being her older brother, seeing that she was going through those situations, I said, ‘You know, I’m stable,’” Valante Holder said. “I thought it was a good idea for her to come down to Augusta and change her life, fix herself, get away from the people that was causing her issues and problems the same way that I did.”

But earlier this month, that new start ended on Cameron Drive.

For Shawna Holder, the last words from her daughter still feel impossible to reconcile with the first words of her death.

“The very real, real last thing I heard my daughter say was, ‘Happy Mother’s Day. I love you, Mommy,’” Shawna Holder said. “So to hear somebody else, the next words they’re saying is that my daughter is no longer in the living, is not something that you can just breathe through, you know?”

Shawna Holder said she received a call from a young man who announced his name and said something happened to Khyla and she was dead.

“I couldn’t do anything but scream,” she said.

A mother and protector

Khyla’s family said she was tough on the outside but soft where it mattered. A protector. A mother. And to her son Kyshaun, her best friend.

“One thing Khyla always was, was a protector,” Valante Holder said. “She wasn’t gonna let anybody just run over who she cared about or who she loved or who she felt in her heart was important to her.”

Shawna Holder said her daughter cherished being a mother.

“He’s crazy about her. She can do no wrong in his eyes. She is the greatest mom,” Shawna Holder said. “In all of my contacts is the greatest mom ever.”

Valante Holder said his sister and her son were like best friends.

“She was very big on her relationship with Kyshaun,” he said. “They were like best friends. They’re always playing a game with each other. They’re always wrestling. They’re always going back and forth. They always fighting over snacks. It’s just two kids. She’s just a big kid, and he’s just a little kid. They were like twins.”

The day after Khyla was killed, her son had to walk across a graduation stage. Shawna Holder said she had to let him have that moment before telling him his mother was gone.

“It was my grandson’s graduation date the next day. He was graduating the next day,” she said. “I had to go to his graduation and put on a happy face and wait until he had his day to tell him about his mom.”

Now the family is left trying to guide him through every milestone without her.

“If he live his life every day like his mom is always watching him, a great man he will be,” Shawna Holder said. “But this is the type of thing I feel like I’m gonna have to be telling my grandson each milestone. Each milestone I will have to revisit the same emotion I felt the very night I got that call and don’t know which one of these times he’s gonna take it away and it break him.”

The family wants people to know Khyla’s life reached far beyond the place where it ended.

“At the end of the day, my sister meant something to a whole lot of people,” Valante Holder said. “And not just in Augusta.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A giant inflatable brain appeared on the lawn of Piedmont Augusta, allowing people to walk through and learn how to identify stroke symptoms.

The exhibit was part of Stroke Awareness Month. Visitors stepped inside the inflatable brain to see what a stroke looks like and learn how to spot one.

Dr. Barry Jenkins, chief medical officer at Piedmont Augusta, said the message is particularly important for the region.

“So in the southeast we live in what we call the stroke belt. We have high prevalence of risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure so it’s really important that people understand what their own risks are and what the signs and symptoms of a stroke are,” Jenkins said.

Ruthie Kelly attended the event.

“I learned about speech and the different signs of stroke and be aware of and to prevent or help someone if they may be having a stroke,” Kelly said.

Doctors say knowing stroke signs could make a difference. Warning signs include sudden loss of balance, vision changes, facial drooping, arm or leg weakness, or slurred speech.

If any of those warning signs appear, call 911 immediately.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta’s new pro-hockey team is preparing to unveil its logo and name. The hockey team is working to build a strong fan base across the CSRA before it even hits the ice. Supporters say it will be fun and a place for family and friends to come together.

Locals in Augusta have had the opportunity to participate in choosing the teams logo and name for their upcoming season. This gave the community an opportunity to be a part of something that will grow to be huge here in the city.

“This is Augusta’s team, and we want to make an impact on the ice and off the ice in the community. But really have a place where people can come for great, affordable fun, and then we can do great things off the ice as well to positively impact the community. “, says David Hodges, Co-Owner of the Augusta Pro Hockey Team.

Having the new sports team present the name and logo unveil has almost made a sold-out event. With 2,100 plus seats being RSVP’d prior to the start of the event.

The new team will not take the ice until the 2027-2028 season, but excitement is already high. The name and logo reveal event is set for this evening at the Augusta Convention Center (2 10th Street, Augusta, GA 30901), with doors opening at 5:30 PM and ending at 8 PM. You can click here to RSVP for tonight’s event.

Photojournalist: Dania Alawir.