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Jennifer James (C) with her family. | Source: GoFundMe
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A 49-year-old cancer survivor died tragically late last month. A young man was later identified as a suspect by law enforcement before admitting to the crime.
On April 28, 2025, police responded to a 911 call around 11:20 p.m. on First Street in Berthoud, Colorado. The caller reported that an adult female had been shot inside her home, the police report said. She was identified as Jennifer James.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office as well as a nearby Colorado State Patrol trooper arrived on the scene and began administering life-saving measures on James, but she was unfortunately pronounced dead on the scene.
According to FOX31, James had beaten cancer four times before she died. "It just makes me mad that such a senseless act of violence occurred and you never think that's going to happen to you," her daughter, Ashley, told the publication.
Several other people were present when the shooting occurred, but no other injuries were reported. Days later, police identified and arrested Ebenezer Worku as the alleged culprit in James' killing.
The 20-year-old confessed to firing the shot resulting in her death, stating that he accidentally discharged the gun but did not know if anyone was near. He was booked at Larimer County Jail and charged with first-degree murder — extreme indifference (F1).
He was also issued a $1.25 million cash-only bond by the Larimer County Court. Following her death, the victim's family started a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $70,000. As of this writing, they have collected $64,495.
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