Tears and sadness collided with hugs and laughs as family and friends remembered De'Ommie De La Cruz, 28, as a woman who brought light and joy to many lives.
Several shooters opened fire Nov. 4 into a party bus De La Cruz was on, fatally striking and killing her.
"You think about her bright smile, her wittiness, her quick comebacks," Tomieka De La Cruz, the victim's mother said.
Those close to her said her positive energy was vibrant and infectious. She loved her friends and family and took pride in parenting her young daughter, who was born premature and weighed just over a pound at birth.
"She was the mother of the millennium," Tomeika De La Cruz said.
De'Ommie's wit amused her friend while her caring nature is what left a lasting impression on those who encountered her.
"She always gave me positive information, kept my spirits uplifted," her brother Alex De La Cruz said.
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Although the vigil brought happy memories that involved De'Ommie, her friends and family said it was tough knowing the gunman responsible for her death is yet to be caught.
"I wish they could feel the pain I feel, what my family feels," Alex De La Cruz said.
At this time, the victim's family is hoping for justice and to keep her memory alive for her daughter.
"I will share every memory that I have," Tomieka De La Cruz said.
