ATLANTA — Family and friends are remembering a 7-year-old girl whose life was cut short. Little Ava Phillips was shot and killed during a family gathering at the Camden Vantage Apartments on Jackson Street Saturday night, according to Atlanta Police.
About 80 people gathered there Tuesday evening in her honor. Her father, Jonathan Phillips, said the pain is still there.
“Ain’t nothing gonna bring my baby back but you know it’s good to see the city showed up, showed support, gave support," he said.
Her family described her as a little girl who loved to be "the boss."
“She liked the window seat on the plane. She liked the front seat of the car. She liked to order first in the restaurant. That’s my baby girl. She was the boss man," he said. " She ran the show. Glad I got to do what I did with her. We did a lot of traveling, Cali and Mexico and things like that. I showed her a lot before she left. Seven is young but I showed her a lot."
His cousin, Djuana Stroud, had similar sentiments, saying Ava loved to be the boss of her three older brothers.
"She had a beautiful smile, beautiful girl, beautiful smile, beautiful life," Stroud said.
Pink and purple balloons were released in the air in honor of Ava. But the attendees would have rather seen them in the sky under less solemn circumstances.
"We shouldn't be out here for a baby," one man said. "We should be seeing our kids graduate, not burying them."
Vigil held for Ava Phillips
The police investigation into the shooting led officers to arrest the child's mother, Kameka Springfield, and charge her with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. However, the person facing a murder charge, DeShon Collins, is still at large. According to a warrant, Springfield assaulted Collins with a gun during a dispute. Police said Ava was shot in the head during the fight.
Outside of the murder charge, arrest warrants were also issued for Collins for cruelty towards children, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. It is unknown his relationship with Springfield.
“The only way I can describe is it’s just sad knowing that a little girl lost her life like that. Didn’t even have a chance," Stroud said.
An online fundraiser has been set up by the family.
"Stop the senseless violence man. Like, my baby died over some crazy stuff, crazy that really could have been avoided," Ava's dad said.