Alderwood Mall shooting: Family honors 13-year-old killed 2 years ago in Lynnwood, WA
LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Family, friends, and community members gathered at Martha Lake on Friday to mark two years since 13-year-old Jayda Johnson was shot and killed at the Alderwood Mall.
Johnson was an innocent bystander who was killed during a fight between strangers at the Lynnwood shopping center.
Remembering an 'Angelversary'
The memorial gathering, which her mother Tabatha Johnson termed her "Angelversary," served as a space for loved ones to honor the energetic teenager.
What they're saying:
"The absence of Jayda is felt 24/7," Tabatha Johnson said. "I want the world to remember Jayda and I know she would want everyone to remember her."
Jayda Johnson's photo is printed on the shirt of someone attending a memorial event for the 13-year-old girl two years after she was shot and killed at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood
Family members shared that they keep her memory alive by speaking about her constantly. Jayda's cousin, Cheryl Huffman, noted that the loss remains incredibly difficult to process for those closest to her.
"Jayda was a daughter, she was a sister, she was a friend, a niece," Huffman said. "There’s some of us that still talk about her in present terms because we don’t want to believe that she's not here."
Loved ones remembered Jayda as the life of the party, who loved life and was kind. Today, she would have been 15 years old and in high school, but her family notes she is now "forever 13."
A banner reads "Forever 13" at a memorial event for 13-year-old Jayda Johnson two years after she was shot and killed at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood
The continued fight for justice
Beyond remembering Jayda's vibrant personality, the family is using their platform to fight for justice and raise awareness for all children lost to gun violence.
The family expressed ongoing frustration with the timeline of the legal system.
"We still don’t have a court date and that’s really hard for our family," Huffman said.
"He’s alive and breathing, Jayda’s not and that’s why we’re here," Johnson said.
Suspect awaits trial on $2 million bail
The suspect in the shooting, Samuel Gizaw, remains in custody, according to jail records.
Gizaw is being held on $2 million bail and has been charged as an adult with murder and possession of a gun.
While Gizaw has entered a plea of not guilty, a trial date in the case has not yet been scheduled.
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