Tazmir Ransom celebrated his seventh birthday on April 9, 2020. Six days later, he was dead.

26-year-old Natasha Franks of Philadelphia has been charged in her son’s death.

At around 6:50 PM on Easter Sunday, on a report of a child having trouble breathing, medics rushed Tazmir from his mother’s home in the 2000 block of Clarence Street in the Kensington neighborhood to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He was found to be suffering from multiple severe injuries. Tragically, on April 15, Tazmir passed away.

ABC6 said Tazmir was beaten to death.

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Prior to a vigil held on Wednesday evening, Tazmir’s paternal aunt, Tanjala Pinckney, told a reporter, “It’s just heartbreaking. He just turned seven. There was no reason for her to take his life; she wasn’t supposed to have him. She could have just gave him back to us.” 

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Tanjala, the sister of Tazmir’s father, Jaleel Ransom, told the reporter she knew the vigil was against social distancing recommendations, but the grief over Tazmir’s sudden and unexpected loss was too much for any of his family members to bear alone. 

According to Tanjala, “It looked like he was being abused over the last couple months. My brother kept trying to go down and get custody back and trying to do what he needed to do to get him.”

“He was just full of life… all the time, non-stop… he just was a good kid.”

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Natasha was taken into custody by Officer Laura Hammond on Monday, April 13. She was initially charged with attempted murder, but according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, the charge was upgraded to murder after Tazmir died. She currently faces charges of murder, aggravated assault (attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causing injury with extreme indifference), endangering the welfare of children, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, obstruction of administration of the law, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and unsworn falsifying to authorities.

An emergency arraignment was held in Philadelphia Municipal Court on April 16, and Natasha is being held without bail at the Riverside Correctional Facility in northeast Philadelphia. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 6.

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During an online news conference on Friday, April 17, Krasner said, “These are times when we have real concerns about domestic violence, and about what happens when people are sequestered in the home and under all kinds of stress.”

Natasha has previous convictions from 2014 for carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a firearm in public in Philadelphia. She was sentenced to two years probation for that offense.

Philadelphia police’s homicide unit continues to investigate. Click here for my ongoing coverage of Tazmir’s case. 

Jaleel posted this video of himself and Tazmir on Facebook.

Tazmir will be sorely missed by his family. He had several aunts and uncles, all of whom are publicly mourning his loss. My sincere sympathies go out to Jaleel and his family. This is utterly heartbreaking.

Sources: ABC6, PEOPLE, Facebook, Fox29, CBS3, NBC10, The Philadelphia Inquirer, court documents