Layla Silvernail.Photo: GoFundMe
Two teenagers were killed and one was left with no brain activity following three separate shootings last week in a northern Florida county that authorities believe may be connected.
It all began on March 30 just before 11 p.m. when deputies were called to the Forest Lakes Park and SE 183rd Avenue Road, where they found a 16-year-old girl laying on the side of the road suffering from a gunshot wound, according to a press release from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Layla Danielle Silvernail was taken to a local hospital, where authorities said she remains in critical condition.
“Layla is showing no brain activity and her family has decided to donate her organs so she can help others in the wake of this tragedy,” reads aGoFundMe pagecreated to help offset memorial expenses.
The teenager was described in the fundraiser as an “amazing athlete” who had played softball her entire life.
Deputies said the next morning, around 8 a.m., a second teenager who’d been shot was located on the side of the road on SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court, which is about four miles from where Silvernail was discovered.
Then on April 1, investigators found the body of a 16-year-old girl inside a partly submerged car near the edge of a lake on Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace, the release states. She had also been fatally shot and her identity was not revealed, pursuant to the state’s Marsy’s Law, which allows the family of crime victims to shield their identities.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The vehicle found at the scene belonged to Silvernail, authorities confirmed. They did not detail why Silvernail’s body was found elsewhere.
Police say they believe the shootings are all related, citing the ages of the victims as a common factor.
No arrests have been made as authorities continue to investigate.
“We are looking for help for the families who have lost a loved one, and there are folks out there that know,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in avideo posted to Facebook.
The sheriff also said a social media rumor about a fourth victim, and another about a possible serial killer in the neighborhood, were unfounded.
Speaking withWESH 2 News, an unidentified local resident said, “I just hope we can find out what went wrong and help this community so our children will feel safe.”
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call Ryan Stith at (352) 368-3542. Or, if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at (352)368-STOP (7867) and reference 23-22 in your tip.
source: people.com
