Vigil remembers pregnant woman shot to death at Jacksonville park

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Loved ones gathered Thursday night at a vigil remembering a mother-to-be who police said was shot to death early Sunday morning at a park in Jacksonville's Hogan's Creek area.

During the vigil for 25-year-old Ramona Solomon, family and friends released pink balloons, which they said represented the baby girl Solomon would have had if she hadn't been shot and killed.

"She was four months' pregnant," her mother told News4Jax.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the woman was shot on a basketball court at Julius Guinyard Park on Jefferson Street, and later died at a hospital. Police have not yet released her name, but family identified her as Solomon. 

Solomon's mother said her daughter ran to a nearby apartment complex for help after the shooting but, at that point, nothing could save her.

"I'm just really heartbroken," said Tabrielle Lee, Solomon's best friend. "It's really just taking a toll on me. It just doesn't seem real."

Loved ones described Solomon as having a fun, loving personality and the ability to light up a room.

"I was just speaking to her Friday about how she was going to be a great mom. And she was. She was going to be the best mom," Ashley Lipford said. 

The mother said there's evidence -- messages on her daughter's phone -- that could help police track down the shooter.

"She said if anything happens to her, this is the person," the mother said.

Solomon's mother had a message for her daughter's killer. 

"I'm angry because you're a coward, because you knew she was pregnant," she said. "You called her. You deliberately called her and you shot her twice."

As of Thursday, police had not named a suspect. But Solomon's mother said she won't rest until an arrest is made in her daughter's death.

Detectives continue to investigate the deadly shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).