A mother of three was shot and killed in front of her children in an attempted carjacking on June 11, 2018.

Her eight-year-old son said while his mother lay dying in the street, she apologised to him and his siblings.

28-year-old Porsha Owens was loading her kids, RJ, 8, Hailee, 4, and Haiyden, 3, into her white Dodge Charger when she was approached from behind by accused killer, Mark L. Haywood.

Owens was taking her kids to a summer daycare program. Family members said she was then going to head to work at Riverview Gardens School District, where she works as a school safety officer.

According to DailyMail, St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, Robert McCulloch, said during a press conference that Haywood saw the Dodge Charger car, which belonged to Owens, and waited for the owner to approach the vehicle.

He then walked up behind her, demanded she gives him her keys and money and then shot her as she turned around.

As Owens lay on the pavement, police said Haywood tried to take the car but it wouldn’t start. He grabbed her purse and phone and fled. Authorities said Haywood also took a gun Owens had been carrying in a holster at her hip.

Meanwhile, Owens’ eight-year-old son hid his younger sister and brother under their car and flagged down help before returning to his mother’s side, according to his great-grandmother, Fannie King.

Police said after Owens was shot she got up and walked to a neighbour’s house but collapsed outside. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Haywood is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. Bail was set at $1million, cash-only.

The accused killer lived a couple blocks from Owens and her children. Investigators said Owens had moved into the home a few days prior to the shooting.

Some of her belongings, including her gun, were found inside Haywood’s home. Court documents state that Haywood admitted to the crime, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The district Owens’ worked for announced her death in a heartfelt tribute posted to Facebook.

Family members set up a GoFunndMe to help with expenses for Owens’ three children. It has raised more than $156,000 as of Thursday

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