ELYRIA — Family, friends and classmates continue to struggle to come to grips with the death of young NaJia Boone, even as the community grieves the 8-year-old’s death.

NaJia’s great-aunt, Lila Taylor, said NaJia’s brother is having a hard time right now, but said she believes that will change.

“He’s OK,” she said of the brother. “He’s taking it rough. We have to surround him with lots of love.”

Taylor said the boy, whose struggle with NaJia over a gun led to her death, is home with his family and has not yet returned to school.

Ayanna Cash, 9, said she’s been very upset at the loss of her friend and came to the vigil so she could give NaJia’s family a gift for the friend she’s lost.

“She was a good friend, and she gave me Christmas cards and sat with me at lunch when I had no one to sit with,” Ayanna said. “I just wanted to be here so I could give her some flowers so she will remember me.”

Ayanna’s mother, Emily Cash, said it’s been tough seeing her daughter suffer.

“This is nothing that you ever want to go through or think you will go through,” Cash said. “I just hold (Ayanna) when she cries, and I think about (NaJia’s) family.”

Chris Schaaf, 8, was NaJia’s classmate and said he came to say goodbye to a friend.

“The day I met her we became friends, and we played with each other,” Chris said. “I wanted to say goodbye to her.”

Victoria Mayo of Lorain knows NaJia’s family and brought her 7-year-old twins to the vigil to show their support.

“I have a little girl myself, and I can’t imagine what the mom is going through,” said Mayo, a pediatrics nurse at EMH Regional Medical Center. “I talked to my kids about guns — that they are not to play with guns, and if they see one to go tell an adult.”

Haley Schultz, 8, is a former classmate of NaJia’s.

“I wanted to pray for her,” said Haley as her mother, Kim Schultz, cried.

“She’s been handling it pretty well,” Schultz said. “We prayed for NaJia when she was in the hospital, and when she died, I just told Haley what happened. I haven’t talked to her about guns yet. Maybe I should.”

NaJia’s grandmother, Clechie Craighead, thanked everyone who attended but declined to talk after the vigil ended. Taylor, who had planned to spend NaJia’s ninth birthday with her next month, said the vigil helped her.

“It helped me to know that people do care,” Taylor said. “If they care about my family in this way, maybe they’ll help other families out there who need the same support.”

Taylor said she was touched so many from the community came to show their support for the family and to say goodbye.

“It was such an outpouring of support,” she said. “During this time of need, people came out and showed up, and that was great. God bless them all, and we thank them.”

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

 

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