MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The family of a 12-year-old Miami Gardens girl who was shot and killed in front of her grandmother is calling for an end to the violence in their community.
On Monday, her family and members of the community took to the streets to say enough is enough.
Their simple message is "Who's next?" If someone knows something, they need to say it because anyone could be next.
Tequila Forshee was at 4264 NW 201st Street when she was shot about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday. She was buried this past weekend and her family says they came to the streets on Monday to ask everyone to come out and do what they can to find her killers.
Many of those who gathered on Monday wore T-shirts with the 12-year-old girl's face on it and walked house to house and passed out fliers in the community. They believe someone knows who shot and killed the girl. They are appealing to anyone with information to come forward, not just for justice for Tequila, but also to provide protection for their own families by getting these killers off the street.
"Even though her funeral was this past Saturday, it didn't end there," Chanae Forshee, Tequila's aunt. "We're here to take a stand in our community and let everyone know that the violence has to stop.
"We suffer from the idea of believing that police can stop crime," said Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert. "Police will be a part of that, but to a larger part it has to be community-based organizations and the church. It's going to be family. It's going to be residents and neighbors talking to police and just providing information."