ATLANTA — There is a new reward to find whoever shot and killed a young woman as she slept last month.
Jessica Daniels would have turned 19 on Friday.
Channel 2's Matt Johnson was with her family as they held a somber birthday celebration to honor the teen.
Daniels’ mother, Sanmarian McClain, said she is staying as strong as she can on this first birthday without her daughter.
Any other year, Jessica’s birthday would be one of the happiest days of the year.
“She was everything a mother could ask for,” McClain said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Teen charged after allegedly hitting man, 2 kids waiting for school bus
- 3 more measles cases reported in metro Atlanta
- Ric Flair says he's ready for UGA vs. Auburn game this weekend
But this year isn't the same after a stray bullet entered Jessica Daniels’ window and killed her.
Her family is keeping Daniels' memory alive by celebrating her birthday and trying to do so without the life of the party.
“Her birthday party, always, she would be the star. She shines. She makes everybody happy, laughing, dancing,” Daniels’ grandmother, Lynette McClain, said.
They gathered at the same house on River Ridge Drive where a shooting in October outside the house led to Daniels' death inside.
Daniels' family told Johnson that an arrest by Atlanta police would go a long way toward healing.
“My heart wouldn’t be so heavy as it is now. That’s the only thing that can save it,” Lynette McClain said.
Daniels’ mother said there is an $11,000 reward for information about the people who took her daughter away from her family.
“(We need) justice for Jessica. If you know something, say something,” Sanmarian McClain said.
Atlanta police told Johnson Friday night that the case remains ongoing.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.
Cox Media Group
