 In "Shock to the System", (the first episode of season 1), it was mentioned that she had died from gangfire; in "Flashback", in season 3, Jean Hawkins was shown to have been a paramedic, and that specifically she had been fatally wounded by a stray bullet during the Dakota Riots, which happened exactly five years prior to the events of the episodes of "Flashback".Her death is at the root of Virgil's intense dislike of guns, effectively preventing Virgil from getting involved too deeply in gangs.She was very important to all of her family, especially to Virgil, who was only 10 years old when she died.