Friends and family celebrate life of slain Mill Creek rec center employee

On Saturday, the friends and family of Tiffany Fletcher, the beloved employee who was caught in the crossfire of a shooting at the recreation center that now bears her name.

Fletcher would have been with these people who cared about her the most, celebrating her 42rd birthday.

Her niece, Gina Clinton Fletcher, said she was always the life of the party, and so her family is throwing a party for her at her rec center.

"It means a lot. It’s not just for her immediate family, but for the community," said Clinton Fletcher. "The things me and my aunt grew up when the community was a community is willing to give that back."

Fletcher was killed last September during a shootout between two groups while working and preparing for kids to arrive after school.

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A 14-year-old boy was charged as an adult for the murder.

The hope is the center can be a place where young people can grow to prevent tragedies like this from happening.

"Not just that one young man, it’s a lot of young guys out here who need some structure and guidance," said Tanja Carter. "Again, once this center gets what it needs, the fixing up and everything, we can start these programs, opportunities for these children to change their lives."

Tanja Carter said the center may have a new name, but it hasn’t seen many improvements since she was a kid.

"This is our center, and we would like to see something better come out of our center, which we’re going to get," Carter said.