On the night of Sunday, May 16, 2021, 19-year-old Tatyana Francois of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was shot on Central Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Responding officers found Francois suffering from gunshot wounds; she was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. She is described as a Black / African American female.

Pawtucket Police treated the case as a homicide and investigators early on believed the shooting was connected to a domestic dispute rather than a random attack. Authorities indicated a suspect was identified and apprehended, though the person’s name and arrest details have not been publicly disclosed. A candlelight vigil at the Nonviolence Institute in Providence brought friends, family, and community members together to mourn her loss.

If anyone knew Tatyana or has information about what happened on Central Avenue that night, please come forward to the Pawtucket Police.