APOPKA, Fla. — A week before her 16th birthday, Nykeria Simmons was gunned down on Main Street in Apopka, not far from where she grew up.
Lashunda Redd said there isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t think about her sister.
“She was with her brother, and she just wanted to go home,” Redd said.
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Read: $15,000 Reward offered for information in murder of Apopka teen
She said Nykeria was a quiet teenager who loved basketball, and was the kind of person others liked to be around.
“She finally came out to be herself. All she wanted to do was play basketball, and they took that from her,” Redd said.
In March 2020, Nykeria and her brother stopped at McDonald’s for ice cream, when she was shot.
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At the time, police said Nykeria wasn’t the intended target. They believed the shooting was the result of an ongoing feud between two groups.
More than a year after the shooting, there has still been no arrest
On Thursday, the FBI joined the Central Florida Crimeline, increasing the reward to $15,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Nykeria’s family said they hope someone will come forward and help them get the justice they’re looking for.
“I know somebody knows some information. I wish somebody would come forward so we can get justice, and my sister can rest in peace,” Lashunda said.
The FBI urges anyone with information to contact the FBI Tampa Field Office at (813) 253-1000, or the Central Florida Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477).
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