NOCATEE, Fla. – Family and friends came together Friday to pay their respects to 11-year-old Sofia Cardona, who was killed in a murder-suicide in Nocatee last week.
Sources say her father was the shooter and he died at the scene. St. Johns County deputies say they responded last week to someone making suicidal threats inside a Nocatee home.
Cardona was rushed to a hospital where she died from her injuries.
News4JAX was told hundreds attended the service Friday for the fifth grader.
“She’s always been an inspiration to me and I’ll always carry her with me in my heart,” said Cardona’s brother. “And we all shall always remember her and allow her spirit to live on.”
Everyone attending the service at St. John Paul II Catholic Church was asked to wear bright colors. Many wore pink, Cardona’s favorite color.
“She taught me how to enjoy the act of giving, rather than receiving,” said Cardona’s sister. “She received so much joy just by giving you a present that it really changed how I thought about any sort of holiday where we give gifts.”
Through the pain, Cardona’s siblings are focused on her legacy.
“Sofia, although she lived, you know, a shorter life than most of us, she definitely lived it to the fullest. Without a doubt,” her brother said
The community held a vigil to honor her on New Year’s Day, and hundreds of people showed up.
“Community is such an important part of the healing process, especially when a life was taken,” Abigail Milam, one of the vigil attendees, said. “So Young, like, this is a rough time for this whole like area, especially this neighborhood. So I think they just needed a moment of togetherness.”
There is a GoFundMe for Sofia’s family. It has raised close to $60,000.