Police haven't released many details about how 16-year-old Arrijana Hill died Friday and the mystery is something that makes her death more difficult to handle.
In a time of pain, togetherness is comforting.
"I'm here for her, I love her. We're all here for her, we all love her," friend Symphoni Lamar said.
Hundreds of friends and relatives of Hill gathered outside Crossroads Community Church Tuesday night to pray, light candles and eventually release 300 balloons in her favorite colors.
Teammates and classmates from Pearland's Dawson High School leaned on each other for support, but no one needed it more than her family.
"It's hard to understand, but at the same time, I try to think that God has a plan," friend Jacoby Franklin said.
The 16-year-old was found dead inside her home in a gated community on East Cedar Hollow Drive last Friday. The medical examiner now says she was stabbed to death.
Pearland police are releasing little about the case.
And for parents in this crowd, that makes talking about the tragedy with their children even harder.
"What happened, who did it, and then why? Why? Why is a big thing. She was so young, she was 16, so the why question is the hardest," parent Akima Taylor said.
So instead, many say they want to focus on supporting Hill's grieving family -- one brave enough to face a crowd Tuesday night. The teen and her infectious smile will be missed.
Police will say only that they're following leads and talking to the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office about this case. They haven't discussed any potential suspects or motives.
Hill's funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
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