LYNNWOOD, Wash. — The family of 13-year-old Jayda Woods-Johnson is remembering her as "a firecracker that could light up the room," while also expressing their disappointment that her alleged killer is out on bail.
Jayda was shot after two groups got into a fight in the Alderwood Mall food court on July 3. A 16-year-old from Edmonds allegedly fired a gun just after 6 p.m.
The suspected shooter was brought to the police station by his mother and booked on suspicion of murder that night.
The suspect posted bail, the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office told KING 5 on Friday, July 5. A future hearing had not been scheduled as of July 5.
Cheryl Huffman, a spokesperson for Jayda's family, said she lived just five minutes from the mall. Jayda was passing time with a friend while the friend's parents waiting in the parking lot outside.
“I guarantee you Jayda didn’t even know that fight was going on. She was in her own world. Happy-go-lucky. Wanted to see the best in everybody,” Huffman said.
Though Jayda's mother and father Tabatha and Jeremy Johnson said they are grateful for Lynnwood police for their "diligence and commitment to finding justice" for their daughter, they also said in a statement they are concerned the 16-year-old suspect is out on bail.
“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. 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,” Tabatha Johnson said in a prepared statement.
Jayda's family remembers her as being full of life and someone who "loved all things about it. She enjoyed exploring new places, singing and dancing.
"A quiet Jayda was rare, as she was a firecracker that could light up any room she was in. 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," a statement from Jayda's family reads, in part.
Jayda attended Brier Terrace Middle School in the Edmonds School District. Counselors were made available July 5 and again on July 8.
"Our hearts go out to Jayda’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. Please know that we stand with you in grief and sorrow," the district's statement reads, in part.
Jayda is survived by her parents and two younger brothers.
A fundraiser has been set up to help pay for memorial expenses.
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