JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville family is finally getting answers after the death of 19-year-old Aniyah Womack.
20-year-old Mariah Clayton was arrested on manslaughter charges Friday for the deadly shooting in May. Womack's family says police told them it was in connection with the shooting that took Womack's life.
When Womack died May 24, her family told First Coast News she was alive and in critical condition when she got to the hospital, but did not live.
Womack's family held a news conference at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital off University Boulevard Saturday to talk about the more than four months they waited for answers.
A representative from MAD DADS, and anti-violence organization, said they started receiving tips shortly after Womack's death, but told the family they needed to be patient while investigators gathered evidence.
Womack's cousin says there were highs and lows while they waited, but they're encouraging families of other shooting victims to stay strong and keep pushing.
“We still need the support," said Womack's cousin, Autumn Redding. "We still need the motivation. We need the community to keep sharing because it is just the beginning. We’re here today because we want to remember where it all started, and we want to bring a positive end to it as well.”
Redding says there should be a trial for the woman accused in Womack's death and the family will be there to see it through.