Tragedy on Levity Street: 42-Year-Old Monique Worthy Found Dead on Her Birthday in Columbia, South Carolina
COLUMBIA, SC — What should have been a day of celebration turned into a heartbreaking tragedy on Sunday, June 29, 2025, when 42-year-old Monique Worthy was found shot to death inside her home on Levity Street. The day marked what was supposed to be Monique’s birthday, a time meant for joy, reflection, and the company of loved ones. Instead, the Columbia community is mourning the loss of a woman whose life was taken far too soon.
According to the Columbia Police Department, officers were dispatched to Monique’s residence on Sunday evening, where they discovered her lifeless body inside her home. Preliminary findings indicate that she had been shot, and investigators believe the tragic incident was domestic-related in nature.
An investigation is ongoing, but authorities have not yet released the name of a suspect or additional details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.
A Life Ended on the Day It Began
Family members and friends say Monique Worthy was excited about turning 42. She had spoken to loved ones just hours before her death, making birthday plans and sharing reflections about the year behind her and her hopes for the one ahead. She never got to celebrate those dreams.
“She was vibrant, funny, loyal — the kind of person you called when you needed strength,” said one relative. “The fact that this happened on her birthday is unspeakably cruel.”
Monique was known in her neighborhood as someone who greeted people with a smile, helped out when others were in need, and showed up for those she loved. She worked in customer service and had a gift for putting others at ease, whether strangers or longtime friends.
She leaves behind grieving family members, including children and extended relatives, who are now trying to come to terms with the devastating reality that Monique is gone — not from illness or accident, but from a violent act inside what should have been her safe space: her own home.
A Pattern That Must Be Broken
While the investigation into Monique’s death continues, authorities have strong reason to believe the shooting was domestic in nature. If confirmed, Monique becomes another tragic name on a growing list of women whose lives are claimed by intimate partner violence — a crisis that continues to haunt communities across the country.
Advocates are using this moment to urge greater awareness, prevention, and support resources for those experiencing domestic abuse, particularly Black women who are disproportionately affected and often underserved.
“No one should spend their birthday — or any day — in fear inside their own home. We must do better for women like Monique,” said a local organizer with a Columbia-based women’s advocacy group.
Community Response and Support
In the days since Monique’s death, neighbors and friends have set up a memorial outside her home, placing balloons, flowers, candles, and cards that read “Happy Birthday, Queen,” and “Justice for Monique.”
Community leaders are organizing a vigil to honor her life and raise awareness about domestic violence. A GoFundMe page is expected to be created to support funeral expenses and provide for Monique’s children.
Final Words
Monique Worthy should still be here. She should have been surrounded by love, laughter, and birthday wishes — not lost to gun violence and remembered with tears. Her death is a tragic reminder of the work still needed to protect vulnerable lives and ensure that no woman feels trapped in a dangerous situation.
As her family prepares to say goodbye, they ask for prayers, privacy, and a commitment from the community to carry her legacy forward — not in sorrow alone, but in action, change, and hope.
“You were supposed to celebrate, Monique — not become another name on the news. We will speak your name, we will honor your light, and we will fight for the justice you deserve.”
Rest in power, Monique Worthy. Your life mattered.
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