ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The family of the 13-year-old girl shot and killed on Christmas Day held a candlelight vigil in her honor Saturday evening.
Orange County deputies say a 15-year-old boy admitted to shooting Emony Nicole Jackson at a house in the 2200 block of Okada Court. It happened around 4:45 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Office reports that Jackson was taken to the hospital after being shot, but she sadly died from her injuries.
A 15-year-old male who approached deputies at the scene admitted responsibility for the incident, claiming it was accidental.
“A 15-year-old, what is he running around with a gun for,” Cynthia Williams said. “In my eyes there can never be an accident like that.”
Williams is Jackson’s aunt. She helped organize the vigil on Saturday.
“[Emony] is a very loving person, and she loved people,” said Williams.
Dozens attended the vigil on Megellan Cir. Her cousins, aunt, brother, and former teacher spoke about what a loving, determined, and caring person Emony was.
“It’s very hard. We’re going to shed a lot of tears,” said Williams.
Her sister, Emony’s grandmother, is taking Emony’s death the hardest. She had to bury Emony’s mother after a tragic death a few years ago. Now, she has to bury her granddaughter.
The family posted a video of Emony and her grandmother doing a TikTok dance. The smile on her face in that video is what they will miss most about Emony. Her heart described it simply as “love.”
Deputies say that the 15-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and faces manslaughter charges. The investigation is ongoing, and no additional details about the circumstances of the shooting have been made public.
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