Slain Wilmington teen mom Janiya Henry remembered

Janiya Henry and her mother, Shavontai Hale, had joked around last week when discussing how to spend the mother's birthday. 

"We were making a joke and she said, 'Mom, what are we doing on your birthday? Watching CJ?'" the mother said. "And you know what, I would have been happy doing just that." 

But Hale spent her birthday on Friday at her 17-year-old daughter's vigil in Wilmington. She wore a T-shirt with a collage of the two of them together.  

"Not in a million years did I think I'd be here," she said.

Henry and boyfriend Christian Coffield were shot to death in bed beside each other early Monday morning, leaving CJ, their 3-month-old son, parentless. 

"I'm numb," her mother said shaking her head. "I am at a loss for words." 

Wilmington came together to remember the teen mother Friday evening for a balloon release and community prayer. Residents clutched purple and black balloons as gusts of wind plucked a few of them. 

Hale was flanked by her grandmother and great-grandmother as they walked toward silver letter balloons spelling "J-A-N-I-Y-A," and the community followed. 

The Rev. Derrick Johnson said a few words about Henry and her life as a daughter, sister and mother. The community has seen too many of these vigils; now it's time to change, he called out. 

"We are one people, one community, and we feel together," Johnson said. "We need a revolution, a nonviolent revolution." 

Family members cried and embraced as a woman sang of going home to the Lord, and everyone screamed out for the 17-year-old as they released the balloons to the wind. 

Police and the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club stood guard over the mourners because the gunmen have not been arrested and Johnson feared retaliation. Wilmington officers blocked off 24th Street for the vigil. 

In light of the tragedy, Lanita Brooks, whose son was shot to death in 2015, rallied her Facebook followers to give the homicide victims' families what they could. The community came together to donate diapers, baby clothes and other essential items for CJ. 

"We didn't think it was going to be this big," Brooks said. "It shows me there is hope if we can get together and address the gun violence problem." 

She and other residents have collected dozens of cases of diapers, trash bags full of baby clothes and baby formula for the families. 

Hale said it meant a lot for everyone to show up, and it spoke to how loved Janiya was, but it wasn't going to bring back her child. 

"I'm missing my daughter," she said. "I just wish she was still here."

MORE ABOUT THE WILMINGTON TEENS:

Teen killed in Wilmington, Janiya Henry, was 'meant' to be a mother

Former football player, girlfriend shot to death in Wilmington home invasion

Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856 or jhpeterson@delawareonline.com. Follow her @jopeterson93.