25-year-old ‘amazing mother’ ID’d as Tri-Cities shooting victim. Investigation continues
Magdalena “Maggie” Verduzco was ambitious, caring and loving.
The Sunnyside High grad wanted to be a nurse.
“She always made sure everyone and everything was up to par,” said her older brother, Leo Verduzco
On Friday, the 25-year-old mother of two young daughters died after being found outside a home in downtown Kennewick.
She had a single gunshot wound on the 400 block of East Bruneau Place about 3 a.m.
Her brother said she was at her boyfriend’s house attending a party.
Few details have been released about her death as Kennewick police detectives continue to investigate what happened.
Lt. Aaron Clem said a person was with Maggie Verduzco when she was shot but investigators are continuing to try to determine if it was an accident or intentional.
“We have to go through all of the steps in case it is a homicide,” he said. “If it turns out to be accidental or a suicide, at least we did all of our work.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, said Benton County Coroner Bill Leach.
Family members described Maggie as an amazing mother and friend who was special to everyone she encountered.
”She loved country music, sunflowers, horses and the country life,” her brother told the Herald.
He said she always went above and beyond for her daughters, always made sure they were happy.
She was busy with work, school and with the family farm, he said, but she still liked to travel and visit the ocean.
A Facebook fundraiser was started to help with funeral costs. Organizer, Pearla Villalobos, wrote that Maggie had amazing goals and a bright future.
According to Maggie’s Facebook page, she worked at Walmart. And her brother said she attended Perry Technical Institute after she graduated high school.
“For the people that got to know her, they knew her as .... (an) amazing mother and wonderful friend,” said Pearla Villalobos. “We familia Villalobos and Verduzco, we kindly ask for everyone’s help.”
By Wednesday afternoon, donors had given about $3,600.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 2:41 PM.