Friends are remembering the two people who were killed after a mass shooting that also injured eight others at a large block party in Trenton. The shooting killed 33-year-old Tyasiah West, a mother of three, and 42-year-old Anthony Howlett, a father with deep ties to the community. About 100 people were at the party on Locust Street when multiple people walked up and began firing into the crowd, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. A friend of West who identified herself as “Star” said her death still does not seem real. “It just seems unreal… that her life had to be cut short for something that she had nothing to do with… heartbreaking,” Star said. The two had been friends for 15 years. Star remembered West for the happiness she brought to those around her. “A smile that lit up a room. Nice, bubbly, fun girl,” Star said. Howlett, known to many as “Yock,” was a father who was well known for his work in Trenton. Just hours before his death, community members had honored him for that work. “He was honored earlier that day for being an activist, for being a good person,” Perry Shaw of the Trenton Community Street Team said. People who knew Howlett said he had worked to change the direction of his own life and help his community do the same. “He changed from a lifestyle that could have been his, if he made different choices, and died in the same manner he was trying so hard to get away from,” community activist Arnissia Brown said. Brown said her first reaction to learning what happened was one of anguish. “I just screamed… that was my first reaction, screams and tears and why?” Brown said. The shooting has left community activists grappling with that same question. “The community is hurting. We are in pain,” Shaw said. Of the eight people who survived the shooting, four have been released from the hospital. Three men, ages 23, 29 and 32, remain in critical condition. A 42-year-old woman remains hospitalized in stable condition. No arrests have been made. Investigators are asking witnesses to come forward as they work to determine who opened fire and why. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less