TODAY WOULD have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. While her family and friends would love to be celebrating her turning another year older, they are instead campaigning for justice for her after she was shot dead by police in her apartment.

Breonna died two months ago on 13 March when she was shot eight times by Louisville Police officers who forced their way into her home during a reported attempted drug raid.

The emergency room technician was asleep in her bed at the time officers used a battering ram to break down her door. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, a licensed gun owner, believed the pair’s home was being broken into by intruders and shot at police who fired back, killing Breonna.

In the aftermath of the shootout, Walker, who says officers banged the door for only between 30 to 45 seconds and did not identify themselves before entering, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer. These charges have now been dismissed.

Police obtained the “no-knock warrant” on the basis that they suspected a man involved in drug trafficking had been receiving drugs at her home, according to a police affidavit obtained by local news outlet WAVE News.

Breonna was not the subject of the police investigation that led to the raid, and the main suspect and his associates had already been placed in custody by the time police forced their way in to her apartment.

No drugs were found.

Two weeks ago the FBI revealed it was opening an investigation in her death, and Breonna’s family have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. But while the three officers involved in her death have been placed on administrative leave, they have not been charged.

As the world came together to express outrage for George Floyd’s death in custody, many felt that Breonna’s case was being overlooked. A fundraising page set up after her death had not reached its target up until yesterday, but as calls that Black Lives Matter rang out around the world, so did Breonna Taylor’s name – and now donations have far surpassed the initial target.

And those campaigning for on behalf of Breonna have more reasons to hope. Determined to ensure that Breonna’s name is not erased from the current calls for justice and accountability, campaigners are encouraging people to mark Breonna’s birthday by signing the petition to demand she gets justice.

Writer Cate Young has also started a campaign urging people to take action in a number of different ways, including donating to the Gofundme page, emailing the Kentucky governor, sending messages of support to Breonna’s family and using the hashtags #SayHerName and #BirthdayforBreonna on social media to ensure she is not forgotten.