May 24 Damara Kirkland

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Today, May 24th, is the birthday of Damara Kirkland.

[00:00:05]She was shot and killed by her husband in a 2024 domestic violence attack in St. Paul, Minnesota.

[00:00:12]Damara was hard-working, determined, and independent.

[00:00:16]She loved basketball, doodling, and music. She had an all-or-nothing philosophy and was sweet, kind, compassionate, and protective. Damara always wanted to be a mom. Although she was just weeks long in her journey to motherhood, she already had a memento box containing her pregnancy test and ultrasound photos.

[00:00:38]Damara was shot and killed by her husband in their home.

[00:00:42]Damara's husband died in a legally justified shooting by two St. Paul police officers in November 2024 after a national manhunt. Homicide is the leading cause of death for American women during pregnancy. American women are 21 times more likely to die by gun violence than women in our peer countries.