A memorial balloon release was held in Trenton for a woman who was fatally shot by her former boyfriend last week.

Mercer County prosecutors say Nyeisha Saunders, 41, was inside a home on the intersection of Monroe Street and Pennington Avenue Sunday when she was shot multiple times by her ex-boyfriend, 46-year-old Antione Brown. Saunders' 19-year-old son was shot in the hand during the incident.

Brown was found dead at another residence on Pennington Avenue from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to police.

Family and friends gathered near the Battle Monument in Trenton to mourn the loss of Saunders. The crowd released balloons bearing her two favorite colors, silver and purple.

Activists present at the event discussed ways to curb violence in their community.

“While we're trying to shed the light on community violence, we also need to have a specific conversation about domestic violence because it harms families, it harms children and it harms women,” said Maati Sekmet-Ra of the Trenton Anti-Violence Coalition.

Saunders’ daughter, Dominique, says the loss of her mother has been painful.

“I'm going to miss having girl talk. We just miss her,” she said.

Saunders’ coworkers and friends say she was a kind person who will be dearly missed.

“She helped a lot of people,” said her friend Isabella Vacchiano. “She would always want to give and give and give. She would ask for nothing in return.”

Saunders’ funeral is set to be held next Friday.