More than 12 hours after Nia Wilson, 18, was brutally murdered at a BART train station in Oakland, California, images of her killer were released to the public.
On the evening of July 22, Nia Wilson and her sister, Tashiya Wilson, were at the MacArthur Station when they allegedly were approached by John Cowell, who previously was arrested on drug charges, according to KTVU.
Cowell allegedly followed the girls off of the train before attacking and stabbing them at the MacArthur Station. Nia, who suffered stab wounds to the neck, reportedly died from her injuries. Tashiya was treated at a hospital and released.
According to police, the attack occurred around 9:36 p.m. on Sunday, July 22, but authorities did not release surveillance images until Monday afternoon. The time gap angered hundreds on social media, who blasted BART officials and police for failing to catch the killer and not releasing the surveillance footage sooner.
R&B singer and Oakland native Kehlani wrote on Twitter: “Rest in peace Nia Wilson. praying for your sister to pull through and heal, and for her heart when she does. God bless your family. BART, you have cameras & thousands of passengers daily, you’re being held accountable! this shit is wild. so young, super heartbreaking._#BART manages to catch riders who haven’t paid ticket fair, young graffiti artists, you can catch a murderer. Give her family some peace and get a murderous white supremecist off of Oakland streets. (sic)”Along with Kehlani, others have used social media to bring attention to this senseless and violent act. The hashtags #JusticeForNia and #JusticeForTashiyaAndNia have gone viral.
Cowell remained at large at press time.
