Funeral held in Ohio for Hedingham shooting victim, a wife and dog lover

Connors' life will be celebrated beginning at 9 a.m. in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio. A 12 p.m. funeral will be livestreamed on Facebook and WRAL.com.

Connors, 52, is one of five people killed in the Oct. 13 shooting in east Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood. Two people were injured, including Connors' friend, Marcille "Lynn" Gardner, who was visiting.

Family members and friends told WRAL News Connors worked as an independent contractor in human resources. Her husband, Tracey Howard, said they were married for five years.

“She was fun-loving,” Howard said. “A firecracker at sometimes. She would tell you what’s on her mind.”

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Howard recalled what happened on Oct. 13 when he got back to the house after running errands.

“I pulled in the driveway [and saw] a body leaning on [the] driveway near the porch,” Howard said. “I didn’t know it was [Gardner] at first.”

Howard said Connors was shot in the face, neck and stomach.

Connors loved dogs. She died alongside her 13-year-old Jack Russell mix, Sammy. Howard found them together lying on the porch.

“I got the porch [and saw] Nicole,” Howard recalled. “[I] could see it in her eyes [that] she was not with us anymore. [I] saw Sammy laying there at her feet, crying. I was in shock. [I] couldn’t do anything. [I] wish I could have done CPR or something.”

Howard said his home is eerily quiet without his late wife and Sammy.

"I still can't sit still," Howard said. "I can't eat."

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