VALDOSTA, Fla. (WTXL) — One year from graduating high school, a young girl's life was taken away.
She was caught in the crossfire when shots were fired at a party over the weekend.
On Thursday night, Desiyunna Hill's family and friends honored her life, with a candlelight vigil in Valdosta at the church across the street from the club where she was shot.
"That shows me that a lot of people love my daughter. A lot of people love her character. That right there is real joyful to me. That's what keeps me strong," Desmond Grant, Desiyunna's dad.
For Desiyunna Hill's dad the love at Thursday night's vigil is what's helping him through the unthinkable coping with the loss of his child.
A girl he says was so joyful someone who set a great example for her siblings a girl who had a bright future cut short.
"She had a long life ahead of her that she didn't get a chance to accomplish. She was just a happy person, she was just real happy. She loved people, she didn't care who you were," said Grant.
"She always was a cool person, she was kind, she always tried to help everybody. She didn't deserve this. Why her out of everybody," said a childhood friend.
Her bubbly personality and smile, the way she always made new friends and her special way of making people laugh. Just some of the things Hill's family and friends say they'll miss about her.
The Valdosta community, now begging for answers and an end to the violence.
"We have to put the guns down. We have to stop the violence," said Angela Pride.
"We can learn from this and move forward. I watched girls hugging each other, boys and men crying this evening. That's because there's a love between human beings and we must show this love before a tragedy happens," said George Rhynes.
And through it all Grant knows his beloved daughter is now watching over him.
"She's looking down and she's smiling and happy that she left a mark out here," said Grant.
