DETROIT (WXYZ) — Blue and purple were Taya Land's favorite colors.
Saturday evening family members brought dozens of blue and purple balloons to the neighborhood Land grew up in in Detroit.
Family released the balloons into the air to honor the loss the beloved 17-year-old who was lost too soon.
Melzitta Davis, Taya’s Aunt said, "We want people to realize this is a child that was taken away from us, 17 is a child!"
Young in age, Land's sister Dazshanay says Taya was more mature than most.
She had a one-year-old daughter Jakayla who was thee center of her world.
"We had to teach her to grow up a little faster than everyone else due to her being a young parent," commented Dazshanay Bridget. "But she took joy and pride in her child, she loved her baby."
Earlier this month the body of Land, a mother, daughter, and sister, was found on the side of I-94.
Investigators originally thought she was hit by a car, but it was determined she was shot in the head and her body horrendously dumped there.
The suspect has been arrested, but this day wasn't about it.
Saturday evening was about a young woman who was taken from her family too soon.
And a baby girl who will now grow up without ever knowing her mother.
Describing baby Jakayla, Dazshanay said, "She’s awesome, she’s outgoing like her mom, she smile a lot, she don’t understand what’s going on right now, she just knows a piece of the puzzle is missing."
Taya Land's family says they have started this Go-Fund-Me to help with Land's funeral expenses and raising Jakayla.
