2 days ago
Family of teenage girl killed in Aurora shooting says violence must stop, shares compassion for accused shooter's family
The Colorado family of a 15-year-old killed in Aurora remembered the teen with a balloon release on Friday. K'tahna Smith was killed Sunday during a pop-up party that turned violent.
Her mother, Cynthia Coleman, sat beside her daughter's cousins and siblings as they described the bright, loving teen who danced, played basketball, and dreamed of becoming a pediatrician.
K'tahna Smith
Smith Family
"She was just so full of life," Coleman said. "She liked to dance, sing, laugh, joke, play around. She played basketball. She was on the dance team. They even made the news this year trying to raise money to go to a national competition."
Family members described her as the "mom" of the group -- a protective and responsible teen who took care of those around her. Even in her final moments, she was trying to make sure her cousins were safe.
"When she was running, she was yelling, 'Duck! Duck!' She wanted to make sure they were OK. That was just who she was," said her cousin.
Coleman said K'tahna was present but not involved in the altercations shown in video provided by police. APD said these parties hosted "girl fight clubs."
"She wasn't in those fights," Coleman said. "She was there, but she wasn't a violent person. She was probably the life of the party that night, getting everyone dancing. But she wasn't a fighter -- she defended herself when needed, but she wasn't a troublemaker."
One of her cousins -- the 20-year-old also shot that night -- remains hospitalized. Another cousin, tearfully speaking through the pain, said K'tahna didn't deserve this.
Smith Family
"I really hate that she had to go through that, and I really miss her," she said. "It hurts so bad that people think it's funny. My cousin was kind, loving, and so friendly. You couldn't say anything bad about her."
The family is heartbroken, adding that online bullies have mocked her death.
"It's disgusting. These kids are laughing at her being dead," Coleman said. "To the parents of those kids -- please talk to your children. This could be anyone's child."
Despite the devastating loss, the family has compassion to the accused shooter's family.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to that family, too," said K'tahna's dad. "Nobody wins in this. They lost someone too in a different way."
K'tahna had just started her first job and had been planning to return to basketball. She hoped to go to college and eventually work in pediatrics. Her mother says she was determined and good at anything she put her mind to.
"She was beyond her years," Coleman said. "So mature for 15. My responsible one. She was team captain. She was everything."
In the wake of her daughter's death, Coleman plans to start advocating against youth violence in Aurora, joining other parents who've lost children to senseless shootings.
"I'm going to get out here, and I'm going to fight for our kids," she said. "For my baby."
The family wants the community to remember K'tahna not for how she died, but how she lived.
"She had a beautiful soul," one cousin said. "Her smile was contagious. You'd never forget her once you met her."
