Loved ones are mourning a mother of four who was shot and killed in front of her 8-year-old nephew in West Philadelphia.
Imani Naim, 29, of Delaware, was dropping off her nephew at a birthday party along the 5700 block of Ludlow Street back on Friday, April 18, 2025, shortly before 11:30 p.m., police and family members said.
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WATCH HEREAs the two were inside the car, a suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire. Bullets went through the windshield and struck Naim in the chest and head. Responding police officers took Naim to Presbyterian Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. that night.
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Naim’s nephew was not injured in the shooting, which police believe was a targeted attack. No arrests have been made and police have not released information on any suspects.
Loved ones described Naim as a sweet woman who was the life of the party and a dedicated mother of four children. She had just given birth to a son five months ago.
"She loved her children. She took good care of them," Janell Johnson, Naim's mother, told NBC10. "She really did. She focused really on her children all the time."
About 200 family members held a funeral and celebration of life for Naim on Tuesday, April 22.
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“I’m embracing her life. I’m celebrating her life,” Johnson said.
Johnson told NBC10 she doesn't hold resentment towards her daughter’s killer but she wants justice to be served.
“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why it happened. I just really want some peace for her. I want her to be able to rest in peace. And for her to rest in peace, I think they should find her murderer.”
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the murder. If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.
As of April 21, there were 60 reported homicides in Philadelphia in 2025, down 27.71% from the same time last year which ultimately saw the lowest number of murders in the city in a decade, according to police data.
