'She loved her babies': Indianapolis mom to 4 kids killed in Fountain Square shooting

It’s hard for Jennifer Powell to talk about what was taken from her when her daughter was killed.

"She was the life of the party and most of all she loved her babies,” Jennifer Powell said through tears.

Candace Powell, 31, was a mother to four children. She was killed in a Fountain Square shooting early on March 14, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

“I don't even know if it really has hit the kids yet that she is gone,” her mother said.

Jennifer Powell is now caring for her daughter’s children, with the youngest being 5 years old and the oldest 13. The family has started a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses. Services will be Friday.

Candace Powell was born and raised in Indianapolis. She graduated from Arlington High School and worked as a scheduler for a hospital network in the city.

“Anything with customer service she was good at,” said her cousin Kierra Sykes. “She was good with people and good at speaking.”

More Indianapolis crime news: 'Big part of my heart': Funeral held for woman killed in Mitthoefer Road stabbing

Sykes remembers growing up with her cousin then finding time as busy mothers to get together the past couple years.

“I would do Candace's makeup every year for her birthday,” Sykes said. “That was our time to bond and catch up face-to-face. Being in her presence was always a blessing when we got the chance.”

Priscilla Williams, Candace Powell’s aunt, said her niece had a special relationship with each of her four children.

“She probably loved on them more because their fathers aren't very active in their lives,” Williams said. “Everything she did, it was for them, and they are beautiful just like she is. She didn’t deserve this."

What happened to Candace Powell?

Police were called to IU Health Methodist Hospital at about 2:30 a.m. on March 14 on a report of a woman who admitted herself to the medical facility with a gunshot wound after being driven there by another person who left before police arrived.

Responding officers learned Candace Powell had been shot in the parking lot of a gas station in the 1400 block of Prospect Street in Fountain Square before she died at the hospital.

Surveillance cameras from the gas station captured the shooting, according to Fox59. The video showed two cars driving into the parking lot at the same time, around 2:15 a.m. Powell parked near a gas pump, while the other driver circled then parked on the opposite side of the pump.

The cameras did not capture audio, but for about five minutes Powell and the other driver appeared to argue. The driver of the white Sedan then shot Powell from several feet away and walked toward her car.

The video showed Powell's car moving forward slowly in the parking lot for a few feet. Then the shooter climbed into the driver’s seat of Powell's vehicle and drove away, according to the Fox59 article.

Powell's family has many questions as the investigation continues.

“Not many details have been released to us, so we are also still looking for answers," Sykes said.

Investigators have not announced any arrests or released additional information in the case as of Friday morning.

Anyone with information about Candace Powell's death is asked to contact Detective Connie Pearson at 317-327-3475 or Connie.Pearson@indy.gov. Those with information can also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 to remain anonymous.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Mom to 4 kids killed in gas station shooting