Friends, family of Dallas hospital shooting victim remember their ‘angel on earth’

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Saturday, members of the family and associates of a Methodist Dallas Medical Middle social employee celebrated her life practically one month after she and a nurse had been ambushed and killed whereas checking on a affected person.

For the primary time since Jacqueline Pokuaa was killed, her household is speaking about their large loss.

“I’ll say Jacky was our angel on earth,” Pokuaa’s aunt, Josephine Dove, stated.

Pokuaa cherished individuals.

“She’s the epitome of exhibiting up. You realize if you happen to want any person to indicate up, you’ll be able to depend on Jacky,” Pokuaa’s cousin, Nana Wilmot-Desouza, stated. “And he or she confirmed up 100% with out, you already know, any reserve. Proper? She confirmed up for you as if she had been in your sneakers.”

The 45-year-old social employee was going right into a affected person’s room at Methodist Dallas Medical Middle’s mom/child unit final month, when Dallas police stated she was fatally shot by Nestor Hernandez, who was attacking his girlfriend who not too long ago gave beginning to their youngster.

VIDEO: Dallas Methodist hospital taking pictures captured on surveillance, physique digital camera

Pokuaa walked in on the assault seconds earlier than she was killed.

Nurse Katie “Annette” Flowers was killed moments later as she entered the identical room.

“Since October 22, there was a giant, huge void in our division,” a Methodist Dallas Medical Middle worker stated.

Grieving Methodist staff highlighted Pokuaa’s character at her celebration of life at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie Saturday. 

“And he or she simply all the time believed that there was good in individuals, no matter their circumstances,” Pokuaa’s co-worker stated.

Clearly, individuals noticed the nice in her too.

“Energetic, a really lovely soul she was,” Pokuaa’s good friend, Lola Minta, stated.

Pokuaa was born and raised within the west African nation of Ghana. As an grownup, she got here to the USA to review, and earned a Grasp of Social Work from UT Arlington in 2019.

All whereas elevating her son, Nigel, as a single mom.

“It’s an enormous loss for the neighborhood. It’s an enormous loss for Nigel, her son, who’s going to develop up with out a mom,” Wilmot-Desouza stated.

The 12-year-old learn a letter to his mom Saturday.

“I promise you I’m going to dwell to your expectations for me. I solely ask of you, mum, to maintain watching me from heaven for I can be needing that all the time,” he stated.

Even a few of Nigel’s faculty academics stated they may inform simply how particular she was.

“Gosh, if we may’ve had a mom like her for each considered one of our college students, it will be wonderful,” the academics stated. “If we ever wanted something, she offered that for us. Whether or not or not it’s paper, or pens, or something, she by no means wished it to come back out of our pocket, so she would offer that.”

“Your mother is so happy with you, and she’s going to all the time be with you,” the academics instructed Nigel.

Officer’s response to Dallas Methodist hospital taking pictures was ‘excellent,’ police skilled says

Pokuaa’s household is receiving assist from North Texans and others the world over.

“All people, everywhere, we wish to say thanks. Jacky says thanks,” Dove added.

They know Pokuaa died whereas doing what she did finest, inserting others earlier than herself.

“You name Jacky, she’s proper there, and now we have actually misplaced an expensive good friend,” Dove stated.

“Her religion, proper, in God, that’s what we maintain onto,” Wilmot-Desouza stated.

Hernandez is charged with capital homicide of a number of individuals, aggravated assault towards a public servant, and extra.

He stays within the Dallas County Jail. He was on parole and sporting an ankle monitor when he’s accused of murdering Pokuaa and Flowers.

Hernandez’s girlfriend and their new child youngster weren’t injured through the assault.