Lorain/Elyria, OH
Crowd gathers at Ely Square to remember slain 8-year-old
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ELYRIA — A crowd of people gathered at Ely Square on Monday to pray for the family of NaJia Boone, a third-grader who died Feb. 3 after being shot in the head by her brother.
“Thank you everyone for coming out for my granddaughter,” said Clechie Craighead, breaking down. NaJia’s parents, Teneshia Craighead and Dariel Boone, did not attend the vigil.
The prayer vigil was organized by Interfaith Ministries Against Violence and the Task Force for Community Mobilization. Youth minister Angel Arroyo Jr. opened with a prayer for peace.
“Pray for the Boone family, in this mess of a situation, that peace comes upon them,” Arroyo said. “Stand strong for peace — peace around this country, peace around this world.”
Interfaith Ministries Imam Paul Hasan called for the rejection of a culture that glamorizes violence.
“We have to begin to reject violence and guns in our community,” Hasan said. “If we don’t love and respect our children, then we have no future. We can’t go anywhere without (them).”
NaJia, 8, and her 10-year-old brother were struggling over a gun the boy had brought home from a relative’s house when the gun went off and shot NaJia in the right side of her head. Her mother called 911 and then drove NaJia to EMH Regional Medical Center rather than wait for the ambulance. NaJia was later transferred to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where she died Feb. 3.
Elyria Mayor Bill Grace talked about the emotional wound to the community.
“Accidents happen, and it’s something we will feel bad about forever,” Grace said. “We’re here to show support for this tragic event in our community. We share the grief of the family and hope, over time, this sorrow subsides. We love you, we respect you and we’re here for you. The thoughts and prayers of this community are with you.”
Several family members and family friends spoke, including two of NaJia’s cousins.
“NaJia will be sadly missed,” said Tyra Boone, 14.
“Learn to respect others,” said Kenisha Carter, 15, also a cousin.
NaJia’s great-aunt, Lila Taylor, called for stricter gun laws and tighter scrutiny by the entire community.
“We need to be aware of what our children are doing and what other people around our children are doing,” Taylor said. “NaJia had a good mom and a dad who loved her. Her memory will live on. You’ve got to remember that what happened to her can happen to you.”
“In the darkness, the Bible says the light will shine,” Arroyo said. “When a death occurs, sometimes it’s to bring people together. We need to stand strong and help this family. It’s not the kids’ fault.”
Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.
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With all do respect Lila Taylor you are asking for stricter gun laws when you really need to get a better handle on as to how and why a young boy would gain access to a gun from a family members home. Even if he stole the gun as people have suggested how did the gun get loaded and why after having young kids in the house was not a check done to make sure the gun was still there. Put the blame where it lies and that is with the irresponsiblity with the gun owner. Which brings me to another question, was the gun registered? I am familiar with both the Boone and Craighead families and I know for a fact that neither family are the most law abiding citizens.
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While I would never wish any harm on a child based on their parent(s) I must say that the name Dariel Boone is no stranger to violence. Mr Boone has an extensive history with the court system for both violence and drug related cases. Children who witness violence are more likely to commit violence. While I do not think, based on everything reported, that this was intentional violence on the young boys part I can’t help but wonder if he would have been less likely to bring a gun home from a relatives house if he had not been exposed to violence during his young life.
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You two are unbelievable….the grave is not even cold yet and you are throwing dirt on the family she belonged to. I wonder what someone might be able to say about YOUR FAMILY and how law abiding they all have been????
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Glass houses. Silkskin they are truely confused.
I guess they feel this little girl deserved what she got or the family deserved it.
Some people are just above all but one day they will be knocked off their pearly little perch. We just won’t get to see it…..
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I simply made a rebuttle of what a family member of the young girl said. Isn’t she in fact speaking on behalf of the family? crytal forest in what part of comment did you read me say that she deserved what she got? If you were able to take that from what I said that you my darling are sick and I would seek professional help!
Let me break it down a little more simplier for you to understand.
THIS BOY SHOULD HAVE NOT HAD ACCESS TO A GUN, INTENTIONAL OR DELIBERATE IT DOESN’T MATTER.
Whomever the gun belonged to needs to be charged as if HE OR SHE pulled the trigger. The great Aunt said she wants to see tougher gun laws and my reply to that is CHECK YOUR FAMILY MEMBER WHO ALLOWED A YOUNG BOY GAIN ACCESS TO A DEADLY WEAPON.
Clear enough for you?
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Crystal….you always seem to try to be high perched…. doesn’t work but you try to be high perched…
the boy took the gun that didn’t belong to him…… his sister died because of his actions…. tragic… if he didn’t take it… she still might be alive.
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It is comments like these Confuses 1 & 2
” I am familiar with both the Boone and Craighead families and I know for a fact that neither family are the most law abiding citizens.”
“Mr Boone has an extensive history with the court system for both violence and drug related cases
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I am sorry but i think you people are heartless, over the top, self serving, idiots. You post your opinions as if they were facts. What is your back ground on any of these issues to make you so damn righteous. I think you need to look deep inside yourselves to see why you have become such hard hearted people.
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idiots wow, why the personal attack Crystal forest? Am I not entitled to my opinion of what I know about both of the families involved in this misfortunate incident?
:heartless, over the top, self serving” please tell me what purpose am I serving that a young girl was KILLED and it was 100% preventable. I am far from being heartless, not only do a donate money to numerous foundations but I also do volunteer work at the battered womens shelters in both Lorain and Cuyahoga county. I also do outreach for children with behavior problems and at risk teenagers. So before you go calling me or anyone else an idiot you need to do a self evaluation to figure out why you felt the need to personally attack one person. Is it because subconsciously you are as irresponsible as the parties involved in this case?
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So sad. So sad. The boy must be feeling awful. I can’t blame him. Imagine the psychoctic pain he is going to endure for the rest of his life. I believe the owner of that gun needs to be charged with her death. HOW DARE any man or woman have a loaded gun in the home when there is children around. NEVER keep a gun loaded when children are there. What the hell kind of people keep loaded guns around kids? If this was my kid i would go crazy on the gun owner! Burn his house down. This Mamma would have revenge, worth going to jail over. I think the gun owner should kill him/herself. How can you live with yourself now?
Yes, i am opinionated, but damn! why are our kids still being killed by guns?
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CONFUSED1 - I guess exposing some simple truths make one a heartless idiot nowadays. There’s nothing in your post that isn’t the truth. The owner of the weapon should be charged for the death of this little girl.
SONYA - Maybe he’s young enough so he won’t remember this incident clearly. At least we can hope he won’t. As for having loaded guns in a house where there are children present, it’s done all the time and safely. Responsible gun owners take measures to make them inaccessible to kids. One way is to use trigger locks that render the firearm inoperable. They’re not expensive and every once in awhile various police departments give them out for free to prevent tragedies like this one. A little bit of forethought by the gun owner could have saved this little girl’s life.
I could not imagine losing a child. My condolences to the family.
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I fell for this one. Seems somebody at the CT needs to pay closer attention to what they’re doing (like I should have) and post recent stories and not ones from Feb 2009.
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The Boone family nor the Craighead family had this gun, this was not intentional and GOD knows these families are still in need of prayer. So instead of blaming, judging, and not know the facts. PRAY
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Only Jack’s ignorance would go that far back into an archive to hash old depressing news again…..WAY TO GO JACK!
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