Remembering Shaniyah Monae Kazee

Remembering Shaniyah Monae Kazee

It is with heavy hearts that the community of Martinez, California mourns the tragic and senseless loss of 19-year-old Shaniyah Monae Kazee. What should have been the bright continuation of a young woman’s life has instead become a piercing reminder of how fragile our loved ones can be.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at approximately 1:41 p.m., officers from the Martinez Police Department responded to a call at an apartment complex on Fig Tree Lane, after reports of a physical altercation between two adult women. As responders were en route, a caller notified them that someone had been stabbed.

When officers arrived about three minutes later, they found Shaniyah lying unconscious in the parking lot. She was rushed by emergency services to the John Muir Medical Center – Walnut Creek, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

The suspect in this tragic case has been identified as Shaniyah’s own mother, 36-year-old Brittney Evanna Kazee. Both lived in Martinez. The mother was apprehended at the scene, booked on suspicion of murder at the Martinez Detention Facility, and currently held on $1 million bail.

A Community in Shock

The news has reverberated through Martinez and the surrounding East Bay areas—and it’s hard to comprehend: a 19-year-old life, full of promise, cut short in an act of violence so intimate and unfathomable. For neighbors, friends, classmates, and colleagues, this is more than a headline. It is a deep sorrow, a call to reflect on vulnerable youth, familial struggles, mental-health concerns, and what more we as a community might do to prevent another tragedy.

In their official release, the Martinez Police Department emphasized that the investigation remains active, and they’ve urged anyone with information to contact Detective Rubio at 925-372-3454 or via email.

Who was Shaniyah?

Although many details of her life remain private and sacred to her family, from what is known:

• At 19, she was entering young adulthood—an age of hope, growth, change.

• She was a resident of Martinez, part of the local youth community.

• The fact that her death occurred publicly and violently adds a layer of communal trauma: this was not a distant incident, but one in our own streets, our own neighborhoods.

While her story may not yet be fully told, we remember her as a daughter, a friend, a peer whose presence mattered—and whose absence leaves a gap.

The Larger Context & Questions We Must Ask

Tragedies like this compel us to ask hard questions about family dynamics, mental-health support systems, safety nets, and how we engage with one another. Some reflections include:

• Familial crisis: When violence happens within a family unit, it often signals deeper unresolved issues—mental illness, substance abuse, generational trauma, isolation. We, as neighbors and community members, may not know everything—but greater awareness and support can help.

• Youth vulnerability: At 19, Shaniyah was at a transitional life stage—perhaps entering college or workforce, navigating independence, relationships, and identity. That transition can be fragile. Robust support (peer, educational, social) is vital.

• Crisis-response & prevention: While this incident may have unfolded rapidly, it begs the question: are there earlier warning signs? Are there accessible resources and open-dialogue opportunities for families in distress?

• Community healing: Such violence doesn’t only affect immediate family—it ripples outward to friends, schools, communities, and local first-responders. Establishing spaces for grief, dialogue, support and healing becomes critical.

How You Can Help & What You Can Do

In the wake of such a loss, individuals and community institutions alike can play a role:

• Offer condolences and support to Shaniyah’s family and close friends. A kind word, a card, or a presence can mean more than we often realise.

• Encourage open conversation in your family or social circle: check on youth and adults alike, ask “How are you really doing?”, listen without judgment.

• Promote mental-health resources: If you know of someone struggling or you suspect domestic tensions, encourage engagement with counselling, outreach programs, local crisis hotlines.

• Support community programmes aimed at youth empowerment, mentorship, family-support services. Local nonprofits or church groups often welcome volunteers or donations.

• Be vigilant and responsive: If you hear or see signs of escalating conflict (especially within homes), don’t assume “someone else will handle it”. Reporting concerns early can make a difference.

A Tribute to the Light That Was

Shaniyah Monae Kazee’s life—though cut far too short—was part of our shared story in Martinez. She reminds us of:

• The boundless potential of youth.

• The urgency of compassion and community care.

• The pain we endure when interpersonal violence happens so close to home.

As we hold space for mourning, we also hold hope: hope that her memory will serve as a call to action—toward empathy, toward prevention, toward stronger bonds between neighbors and families. May her life be honoured not only by our sorrow, but by our resolve to make our community safer, more connected, more caring.