Friends of the Lansing woman shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide are working around the clock to raise money for her and her two sons.
39-year-old Adriann Lakisha Smith and her husband Derrick were found dead Tuesday at the 2700 block of Marion Avenue around 8:37 a.m.
Witnesses tell police that Derrick chased and shot Adriann during an argument.
The couple was known to have a tumultuous relationship.
When officers arrived they found both individuals with gunshot wounds in the roadway. They were deceased. A firearm was located and recovered.
Adriann didn't have life insurance and her boys are now left with nothing.
For over 10 years, Adriann was an employee at Guys and Dolls Salon in the Frandor Shopping Center working on nails and other projects.
Co-workers are now remembering the woman they’ve considered family not by blood, but by spirit.
“We're at a loss and we're all heartbroken, we've lost a dear friend,” said Pam Winkler, owner of Guys and Dolls Salon. “I was thankful to have her because she was amazing, she’s the best nail tech around.”
“We've watched her boys grow up, she’s hosted baby showers, she’s done birthday parties for my son,” said Cate Saxton, Adriann’s co-worker. “Each one of us has a special piece of her through her artwork.”
Space normally filled with laughter now brings a somber silence.
Many co-workers and customers have dropped off dozens of flowers that now lie at Adriann’s workspace, a place where her creativity and personality came alive.
“She was always looking out for others, she was just kind” said Winkler. “She knew if you needed something and she'd find a way to get it for you, she didn't get it for herself but she'd do it for others.”
Among the flowers, a bottle of Mountain Dew.
“I couldn't bring my self yesterday to walk into a grocery store to get flowers so I stopped at a gas station and I got myself one (Mountain Dew) and I got one for her,” said Saxton. “Just because she'd always have one.”
Through tears and hugs, Smith's coworkers continue to grieve and know Adriann’s memory will live on.
"We probably would have been together another 10 years," said Winkler.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, resources are available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.
Click here for a list of warning signs of Domestic Violence.
A Go-Fund-Me page has been set up to help pay for funeral costs and for the two teen sons Adriann leaves behind.
Donations are also being accepted at Guys and Dolls Salon located at 418 Frandor Shopping Center in Lansing.
