Over 100 days have passed since the tragic incident involving Aniyah Womack, who was shot in the stomach with a rifle used as a prop and left alone outside a Florida hospital, where she later lost her life. Now, a woman suspected in her death is facing manslaughter charges.
In a Facebook announcement by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, they revealed that their investigation into the May 24 shooting led them to suspect Mariah Jynnae Clayton, a 20-year-old also from Florida. Clayton was arrested on October 6 and remains in a Jacksonville jail with a $250,000 bond.
Womack, who was just 19 at the time of her passing, was reportedly filming TikTok videos with Clayton in a friend's apartment bathroom. According to the local CW affiliate WJXT, a witness stated that Clayton was holding the rifle while Womack filmed her "popping out of the shower" with the weapon.
Another individual in the apartment cautioned against playing with the gun and even attempted to take it away from Clayton. The sheriff's office reported that Clayton began to back up while still holding the rifle. When the other person reached for it, the gun accidentally discharged before they could touch it. Another witness mentioned that the person was trying to check if the safety was on, and witnesses confirmed that Clayton still had the gun when it went off.
The loss of Womack has devastated her family. Her cousin, Autumn Redding, expressed their desire for justice and encouraged families who have experienced similar tragedies to seek support from advocacy groups like MAD DADS and Silent Women Speaking, both of which provide assistance to parents who have lost children to violence.
Four months ago, Womack's mother made a heartfelt plea for those involved in her daughter's death to come forward.
On the night Womack was shot, she was driven to a local hospital with two individuals, including Clayton. However, Clayton told the police that she saw Womack walking along the road, and they decided to give her a ride. In contrast, the driver of the car provided a different account to the police.
He explained that he had initially gone to the apartment complex where Womack and Clayton were to buy marijuana, but upon arrival, he was informed that Womack had shot herself and needed a ride to the hospital. Sheriffs were called to the hospital just after midnight, where Womack ultimately passed away.
Although the sheriff's office initially received reports of a crime scene at an intersection where Clayton claimed to have encountered Womack, no evidence of a crime was found there. A week before Clayton's arrest, Womack's aunt expressed her dismay at the thought of her niece being left alone at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the stomach.
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