Central Kitsap High School grad Tersha Jo Brown, 26, sister of Central Kitsap Commissioner Josh Brown, died Monday in Sacramento after a gunshot wound to the head.

According to the Sacramento Bee newspaper, Tersha Brown’s boyfriend, Demario Richard Wiggins, 31, was arrested and booked into jail late Monday night for suspicion of homicide and felony possession of a firearm by an ex-felon or addict. He allegedly shot her after an argument. He was detained at the scene.

As her family remembers her life, they are hoping more support will be provided to other domestic violence victims.

“We’re hoping what will come of this is more support for women in similar situations,” Josh Brown said. “There are too many women in this world who are living in violence.

“Instead of sending us flowers it would mean a great deal to our family to make a contribution in my sister’s name to the YWCA of Kitsap County.”

He remembers his sister as “the most genuine, sincere girl one could ever know.”

“She was this way from the time she was a young girl,” he said. “She was the kid who could get along with the jocks, the studious kids, the kids who were outcasts, everyone.”

Josh Brown recalls his sister was the reason they became a “CK family.”

“She was an exceptional softball player. She transfered to CK her junior year,” he said.

Tersha Brown is described by her former fastpitch coach, Bruce Welling, as “a very hard-working young lady.

“She got along well with everybody. She could walk into a room and not know anybody, but then five minutes later, she would know everyone. Everybody was drawn to her personality, and also her work ethic.”

She was the starting second baseman on the 2000 CK fastpitch team, which finished third in the Class 4A state tournament, going 5-1 in the tournament. She received a full-ride scholarship to play at the University of New Mexico, but then transferred to Sonoma State University.

Hannah Herdman attended CKHS with Tersha Brown and remembers her as someone who could make friends with anybody.

“I was pretty quiet so I always admired that about her. We had so much fun together, no matter what we were doing. She was so funny, we were always laughing about something,” Herdman said. “I hadn’t seen her much the last couple of years with her living in California, but we tried to talk on the phone every couple of weeks.

“The last time I saw her was in October when she was here for my wedding, she was one of my bridesmaids and she got to visit a couple of times. Whenever I did get a chance to see her it was like we hadn’t missed a beat, we could pick up right where we left off. That was how she was, you always felt comfortable with her. She truly was a great person and she will be missed.”

— Sports writer Wesley Remmer contributed to this report.