In a somber gathering illuminated by purple and white balloons, members of the Temple University community and the larger Philadelphia populace came together to honor and remember Milan Jones, a 20-year-old Temple nursing student tragically killed in a domestic violence incident. As reported by FOX 29, the emotional vigil participants chanted, "We love you Milan," as they released the balloons into the sky.
Fuelled by agony and grief, those who knew Jones are now having to grapple with a reality violently torn apart. Her partner, another Temple student whose life was intertwined with hers before ending it, sits at the center of this heartbreak. "Domestic violence is not ok," stated a person close to the case in an interview obtained by Action News. "If you're strong enough to hit someone, you're strong enough to hold back."
Preliminary plans for Jones' funeral services indicate a Monday evening and Tuesday morning viewing at the Emmanuel Johnson Funeral Home in East Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. This will be followed by a funeral mass on Tuesday morning at St. Helena Church in Olney, as detailed by Action News.
The loss of Milan Jones has profoundly affected her family and peers. Her brother, reflecting on her achievements and the future that lay ahead, told Action News, "She was very brilliant. I remember at one of her graduations, I'm holding all the awards she got. She had all these awards, and I'm just so proud to be big her brother". Jones had aspirations of becoming a travel nurse and eventually working in pediatrics.
