🔒‘Everything we do ... will be for Nay’loni’: Heartbroken dance coach remembers 6-year-old who died after shooting

3 years ago 235

Nay'loni Fairley was changeable astatine a location connected Jacksonville's Northside.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dancing was 1 of Nay’loni Fairley’s gifts and passions. The 6-year-old was 1 of 53 dancers astatine Shanequa’s Dazzling Dolls Dance Company successful Springfield.

“I ne'er imagined losing a student, not a kid,” said Shanequa Minnis, who was Nay’loni’s creation coach.

Nay’loni died connected Thursday morning aft being changeable astatine a location connected Linda Drive connected Jacksonville’s Northside. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says Nay’loni’s parent and 2 different children were wrong astatine the clip of the shooting.

JSO is trying to fig retired who was holding the weapon erstwhile it went off. For now, the lawsuit is being investigated arsenic an “undetermined death.”

Minnis says the abrupt and tragic decease of her beloved pupil is hard to process.

“Just remembering what I taught her,” she said. “[Nay’loni] talking to me, maine telling her I emotion her and [hearing] her telling maine that she loved me.”

Minnis was Nay’loni’s creation manager for the past 2 years connected her inferior varsity squad for those betwixt 3 and 9 years old.

Minnis says Nay’loni, affectionately known arsenic “Nay-Nay,” was one-of-a-kind.

“Nay’loni was the astir unrecorded kid I ever came across,” Minnis said. “If I would get onto her astir not knowing her choreography oregon not going location to practice, she would instrumentality it. She would conscionable crook herself astir and wholly bash it precisely however I asked her to bash it.”

Minnis remembers Nay’loni arsenic smart, afloat of beingness and having spunk.

“I would spot her conscionable flipping, dancing and not being still,” Minnis said with a laugh. “Nay’loni would ne'er beryllium still. I would person to say, ‘Nay-Nay! Chill.’”

But Minnis said Nay’loni ever impressed her with her skills, tenacity, and illustration she set.

“I volition everlastingly beryllium grateful to her parents, to her household for sending her my way,” she said. “I americium everlastingly thankful. Everything that we bash from present connected retired volition beryllium for Nay’loni.”

The dancers volition grant Nay’loni connected Monday nighttime astatine Baker Point Park, which was her favorite. They volition merchandise balloons astatine 6 p.m. to retrieve their chap “Dazzling Dancer.”

The household said they are presently moving connected ceremonial arrangements and anticipation to person a day scheduled for sometime adjacent week. A GoFundMe account has been acceptable up to assistance the household with ceremonial arrangements.