The family of a 13-year-old girl who died after being caught in the crossfire of a dispute between two groups in the food court at a Washington state mall said they were “extremely disappointed and disgusted” the alleged shooter is already out on bond.
Jayda Woods-Johnson died Wednesday in the shooting at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, about 20 miles north of Seattle. According to Lynnwood police, there was a dispute between two groups of teenagers in the food court. A 16-year-old boy took out a gun and fired, hitting Jayda who was not associated with either group, police say.
The teen, who has not been publicly identified by police, ran away from the mall, but his mother later took him to the police department to turn himself into authorities. He’s facing a murder charge and has since posted the $500,000 bond. This didn’t sit well with the victim’s family.
“We are extremely disappointed and disgusted to learn the mall shooter, the 16 year old, responsible for murdering our daughter, is shockingly already out on bail back comfortable in his home,” Jayda’s mom, Tabatha Johnson, said in a statement released through police. “This is completely unreasonable and an example as to why this continues to occur too often in our country, our justice system isn’t taking a strong enough stand against those who are committing these senseless acts of violence.”
Her parents described their daughter as someone who enjoyed exploring new places and singing and dancing to music. She loved her two little brothers and served as a role model to them.
“A quiet Jayda was rare, as she was a firecracker that could light up any room she was in,” her parents said. “Infected everyone around her with laughter and playfulness. She was the type of person to roll down a grassy hill and get everyone else to follow.”
Police have not expanded on what led up to the shooting beyond saying there was an argument between the teens. Prosecutors have also not said whether they plan to charge the 16-year-old boy as an adult.
A GoFundMe fundraiser started by a family friend said Jayda was at the mall with her friends, a first “outing” without her parents.
“One of the worst things about this is that Jayda was not ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time,”” organizer Cheryl Huffman wrote. “She was somewhere that should’ve been safe. Somewhere that we have all been as teens as a first ‘outing’ into the world without out parents.”