NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – Sierra Jenkins was a young Black journalist working in a rapidly shrinking industry where colleagues often didn’t look like her. But Jenkins, 25, was exactly where she wanted to be, covering social issues and education for her hometown newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia.
“She felt like she was where she needed to be,” said Denise Watson, features editor for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper and an unofficial mentor. “She loved finding good stories, telling good stories and the idea that what you write can make a difference.”
Jenkins’ ambitions, which included becoming an investigative reporter, were cut short Saturday when she was caught in the crossfire of a shooting outside a bar, Norfolk police said.
Jenkins and her best friend had gone out with a group of people Friday evening, the Pilot reported. An argument over a spilled drink led to the shooting that killed Jenkins and another person and wounded three others, police said.
Jenkins was scheduled for the breaking news shift that day, and editors had reached out to her to cover the shooting before they learned of her death, the Pilot reported.