Milwaukee mother dead with gunshot wound near 53rd and Center: family

MILWAUKEE - Kayla Calderon, 18, was found dead in a Milwaukee apartment near 53rd and Center. Police are investigating, but the cause of death is pending.

Family said the young mother left home Thursday, March 16 and never came back. 

"We're left with no answers," said Nelicia Miranda, cousin.

A small memorial pays tribute to a young life taken suddenly.

"It’s hard," said Miranda. "It’s hard to move on. I think it’s definitely going to be hard to let her go and lay her to rest not knowing what happened and how it happened."

Calderon's loved ones said the unknowns have made grieving more difficult.

"She left on Thursday to go retrieve her phone from someone, and she just never came back," said Miranda. "On Saturday morning, we had learned that she had passed away."

Her body was discovered inside an apartment at 53rd and Center. Family said she was found with a gunshot wound.

When FOX6 News asked police, they would only say there is a death investigation. The medical examiner said the cause of death is pending.

No one has been arrested.

"Kayla was a bright star shining," said Lydia Hernandez, cousin. "She was loud. When she entered a room, it exploded with a lot of energy."

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Calderon was a mother of two babies and was looking forward to her graduation in June.

"She loved her kids," said Hernandez. "She loved her family, and she was very outgoing."

Those who knew and loved her are holding tight to those memories, optimistic they'll get the answers they've been looking for.

"I always have faith, and I always get some hope that we can get some closure to this, and we can get some answers so Kayla can rest," said Hernandez.