FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Friends and family members gathered Saturday to honor the life of a Fort Pierce mother who was killed in a mass shooting at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event earlier this month.
The shooting on Jan. 16 killed Nikkitia Bryant, 29, who leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter.
"I'm going to miss her," family member Brandy Cummings said. "I'm really going to miss her."
As the rain came down Saturday, there was a subtle gloom in the air.
"I always believe that anytime it rains, she's in heaven," Cummings said. "I'm always going to believe that."
As family, friends and community members made their way into St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church to pay their respects, Bryant was brought to the church by a carriage pulled by white horses.
"She was a kind little girl growing up with a great smile," family member Phyllis Harris said. "She loved her family."
Bryant was just one of eight people shot at a car show at Ilous Ellis Park less than two weeks ago. She later died at a hospital from her injuries.
"It didn't have to be like that for MLK Day," Harris said. "(King) said for everyone, the nation should come together but not violence."
No arrests have been made in this case, forcing family members to wait.
"We're not getting no closure," Cummings said. "We're waiting for justice."
"We want justice today as we lay her to rest," Harris said.
The victim's loved ones laid her to rest with a final message.
"I love you," Cummings said. "You will be truly missed. I miss you."
A GoFundMe page has been created to help support Bryant's daughter.
There is a $15,000 reward for an arrest and conviction in the case.
