Aniyah Womack, 19, of Jacksonville died on May 24, 2023, from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The shooting happened in the bathroom of an acquaintance’s apartment while Womack and 20-year-old Mariah Clayton were filming TikTok videos. Witnesses said Clayton was handling an all-black rifle and at least two people warned her not to play with it. A man in the apartment reached for the rifle to check it; the gun discharged before he could touch it and struck Womack.

Womack was taken to Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville by the driver and Clayton. They initially told hospital staff she had been found on the sidewalk, but later said the shooting had occurred at the apartment complex. Womack died hours after arrival. Her family called for justice and criticized those who left her at the hospital alone. Clayton was identified as a suspect after a 135-day investigation and arrested on October 6, 2023; she was charged with manslaughter and held on $250,000 bond. Clayton later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison and probation; she wrote that the shooting was truly an accident and expressed regret.

Are there details about the apartment, the rifle, or other witnesses that could help clarify exactly how the gun discharged?