The west Phoenix community came together on Tuesday to honor the memory of Giaginette Brown on what would have been her Sweet 16 birthday, months after the teen was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting. Friends, family, and a swathe of balloons filled the neighborhood where the teenager once lived, marking the spot with prayers and music in reverent celebration of her interrupted life.
Giaginette, affectionately known as Gia, was asleep in her bed on September 3rd, when the stillness of the night was shattered by gunfire. As a wave of bullets tore through the back of the house near 107th Avenue and Camelback Road, one struck her, snuffing out the light of a young life. "She laid in her bed sleeping, and was murdered," Gia's Aunt, Terri Smith, told ABC15. "And she did nothing wrong."
Following the events, a 17-year-old suspect, Isaac Orozco, was taken into custody in January. Documents from the Maricopa County Grand Jury allege Orozco was behind the wheel during the incident. He now faces charges including second-degree murder. Authorities continue their search for Jason "JJ" Richards, a person of interest, offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to his indictment, per ABC15.
During a time of intense grief, having lost Brown's grandmother just 19 days prior to the shooting, the vigil served as a testament to the teen’s legacy. "She's loved, and she will always be loved," Smith said in a wrenching testament to the familial bond severed by violence. Reflecting on the recent arrest, Smith added, "Justice is served when we realize this is not okay."
On the grim morning after the shooting, police received a report of the fatal incident and found that the intended target may have been another occupant of the home. Brown's aunt, Terri Smith, had earlier expressed to ABC15 the ineffable loss: "We cannot have 15-year-olds being shot up in their bed." Amid their mourning, the family, grappling with the loss of two cherished members, set up an online fundraiser to cover the funerary expenses.
