The man who was shot and killed at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jackson Square Sept. 27 was Nigel Louis Hailey -- the grandson of Mildred C. Hailey, after whom the apartment complex was named just earlier this year.
Police responded to a call for a shooting around 12:56 a.m. at 267 Centre St. and found Hailey, 42, of Columbus, Ohio, suffering from a gunshot wound, according to bpdnews.com. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
According to the Boston Herald, the victim was the grandson of Hailey, a longtime housing activist who passed away last fall at the age of 82. The apartment building was previously known as the Bromley Heath apartments, and was renamed for Hailey in May.
The Herald reports:
Nigel Hailey is also the nephew of the Rev. Pamela Hailey-Gillard, an associate minister at Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan.
“It’s tragic. It’s just tragic,” said [Boston Housing Authority Administrator Bill] McGonagle, who called Mildred Hailey “a very dear friend.”
Lisa Martin, 37, stood yesterday in the foyer where her cousin was killed, tears streaming down her cheeks and rain pounding the pavement outside.
“I just feel like they renamed this place in my grandmother’s honor and then just let it go to hell. She gave her life to this place,” Martin said. “I’m sure that if she was here, this wouldn’t be happening.”
Police are actively reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. Community members who want to assist in this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).