'He left me with nobody': Mother mourns Uber driver daughter Yolanda Dillion shot dead by passenger
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: The murder of Yolanda Dillion, 54, in a random shooting that took place on Thursday, December 8, has left her mother and a whole community in harrowing grief. Dillion was a cancer survivor who worked as a fiscal budget analyst with the New Orleans Police Department and was also working towards receiving a PhD in sociology. She drove Uber in her free time to bring in some extra cash. Sadly, it was this side job that cost her her life.
WWLTV reports that Dillion died when Brandon Jacobs, 29, had planned a random shooting of any Uber driver who had planned to pick him up that day. He then changed his sickening plan and chose the driver who would drop him off on his return trip instead, so he wouldn’t be stuck far from the Travelodge he was staying at in Harvey. Dillion's tragic death left many in her local community grieving and coping with the loss of a woman who was always contributing to those around her.
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Dillon’s mother Edna, who is suffering from cancer, is heartbroken at the loss of her only daughter. “My only child,” she said. "I ain’t have no other. When your child leaves in the morning, you expect to see them come back. You can’t just take somebody’s life, somebody who not doing you nothing.” She seems unaware of how her daughter drove Uber to supplement her income to take care of her mother. Now, Edna mourns her daughter and is left alone. “She took very good care. She made my groceries and cooked and bought everything. She paid all my bills and everything. He just left me with nobody,” said Edna.
NOPD Superintendent Shane Ferguson, where Dillion worked, said that she was a "force for good" and that everyone in the department is shocked. "Our team is taking it pretty hard," he said. "The team dearly loved her. She will be dearly missed. She was quiet. She was humble. She was a quiet giant."
Broadway performer Wendell Pierce posted a tweet paying tribute to the slain woman. His tweet read, “Remember her: Yolonda Dillon. My church member for decades, a woman with a heart of gold & a deep love of God was murdered yesterday, The murderous violence of New Orleans & this country has come even closer to me personally. We are in crisis.” He then added, “and murderous country from its inception. It is only when we as a society are proactive about change, that we protect ourselves and evolve away from the violent contradictions of our professed values.”
Remember her: Yolonda Dillon. My church member for decades, a woman with a heart of gold & a deep love of God was murdered yesterday, The murderous violence of New Orleans & this country has come even closer to me personally. We are in crisis. America has always been this violent https://t.co/mn441vfwiO
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) December 9, 2022
The shooter, Jacobs is now in jail and faces charges of second-degree murder. He also allegedly took a video of the shooting and posted it on Facebook, but it was removed immediately by Facebook.