Taylor Walker, lovingly known as “Tay Tay,” was one of the four victims tragically killed in a mass shooting outside Artis Lounge on Wednesday night. She was just 26 years old.
A South Side native and a devoted hairstylist, Taylor was known for her warm heart, radiant smile, and deep loyalty to those she loved. She was at the mixtape release party to support her close friend, rapper Mello Buckzz, when gunfire erupted outside the venue shortly after 11 PM.
“She ain’t never been through no violence like this,” said her heartbroken mother, Sharonda Booth, outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “My baby was just trying to have fun with her friends. She didn’t deserve this.”
Taylor’s presence lit up any room. Her passion for beauty extended far beyond the salon—she uplifted her community and encouraged the young women around her to embrace their natural beauty and self-worth.
She leaves behind grieving family, friends, clients, and a devastated mother who begged God for her daughter’s safety. Unfortunately, those prayers went unanswered that night.