KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Killeen is still mourning the tragic loss of Serenity Baker, a student at Roy J. Smith Middle School who died following a stabbing on campus.
Serenity’s death has left her family heartbroken and determined to seek justice, while classmates and community members honor her memory with heartfelt tributes.
On the day following the incident, classmates of Serenity came together to hold a memorial on campus — they prayed, left flowers, and shared their favorite memories of Serenity, highlighting the deep impact she had on those around her.
However, KISD police officers kicked students off the premise during the memorial, with school officials later that the students had be removed because it was not "officially" coordinated with the district.
Later, Serenity’s family organized another gathering to honor her memory once students and parents had been removed from campus.
As the community grapples with Serenity’s loss, her family is sharing their pain and frustration.
Jacquel Lambert, Serenity’s sister, expressed outrage over the lack of immediate intervention during the incident.
“My sister bled out on the floor for 10 minutes, it’s a whole video, no teachers helped her, it’s a little girl holding my sister’s neck — no teachers for 10 minutes,” Lambert said.
Christina Walker, Serenity’s aunt, described the family’s emotional state.
“We’re not together, we’re broken into pieces, we’re trying to find pieces to put together, to have Serenity find justice — we want to stop this violence with these children,” Walker said.
The family’s grief is profound, as they recount their experiences in the aftermath of Serenity’s death.
“I shouldn’t be seeing my momma on the floor, on all fours, crying out to God, saying the Serenity prayer, because that’s what she named my sister after, the Serenity prayer — serenity was the youngest girl we had,” Lambert said.
The Baker family has vowed to seek justice and ensure Serenity’s story is heard.
“We want this story to be out there, we want justice for Serenity, period point blank,” Walker said.
