LaDunna Ariene Griggs

LaDunna Ariene Griggs, a 22-year-old woman from Douglasville, Georgia, was remembered by friends as a great friend and by her aunt as deeply loved and missed. Known to some as "Keke," her life was filled with promise and connections that stretched from her home in Georgia to friends in Michigan. Her sudden death left a void in the lives of those who knew her, a loss that was commemorated by loved ones who gathered to honor her memory far from where her life was taken.

In the early hours of Wednesday, October 19, 2022, LaDunna was visiting a friend's family in Saginaw, Michigan, when her life was cut short by gun violence. At approximately 12:30 a.m., officers from the Saginaw Police Department were dispatched to the 1900 block of North Michigan Avenue after reports of a shooting. They arrived to find that LaDunna, a Black female, had sustained at least one gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported her to a local hospital, but she tragically succumbed to her injuries.

The Saginaw Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into LaDunna's death. Detectives began processing the scene and seeking information from the community, but details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting were not publicly released. In the days following the incident, police confirmed LaDunna's identity and her out-of-state residence but did not name any persons of interest or potential motives in the case.

In the face of their grief, LaDunna’s family pleaded for answers. Her aunt, Lashandra Stovall, made a public appeal for anyone with information to come forward, stating, "Someone had to hear something." The family offered a reward for any information that would lead to an arrest in the case, desperate to find justice for LaDunna. Friends and family shared their heartbreak through online tributes, with one friend writing, "You were a great friend to me and I will make sure your name lives on." Her aunt posted a message simply saying, "Missing you from auntie."

A memorial service to celebrate LaDunna's life was held on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the Willie A. Watkins Historic West End Chapel in Atlanta, Georgia. Family and friends gathered to mourn the young woman whose journey ended so violently and unexpectedly hundreds of miles from her home.

As of late 2022, the investigation into the murder of LaDunna Ariene Griggs remained active and ongoing. However, no arrests have been announced, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with her killing. The case has grown cold, leaving her family and community waiting for a breakthrough. The Saginaw Police Department has not released any further updates on the status of the investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Saginaw Police Department or Crime Stoppers.