Friends And Family Of OKC Shooting Victim Find Some Relief After Arrest

There was some relief Saturday night for friends and family of a teenager gunned down in a drive-by shooting at her home on New Year's Day. Police made an arrest in the case.

It was heartbreak for friends, classmates and teammates of 19-year-old Valanesha Washington.

"You're on Christmas break, you're doing the right things, you're in college, you're on the right path, you know why?” said Kiarra Dillingham, who went to Langston University with Nesha. "Someone's taken her life away, like, that's not right."

Dillingham joined with dozens on a rainy night at Midwest City's Kiwanis Park to pay the rising basketball star homage, whose life was cut short.

Nesha played basketball for Midwest Ciity High School, where she was remembered for always getting rebounds.

"We didn't even have to go in there because we knew she was going to get it, she always worked hard, hustled and played hard every single game," said former teammate Brooklyn Reeves at MWC High School.

There wasn't a dry eye at the vigil, as the community united. Jim Tribble, the youth pastor at Midwest City First Baptist Church, led the group in prayer.

1/1/2015 Related Story: Police Searching For Suspect In SE OKC Shooting

“It's a family deal and when one person hurts, everybody comes to the aid of the person and the family that hurts," said Tribble, who's been in the community since 1962 and serves as the high school football team's chaplain.

It was on New Year's Day when police said Nesha was sitting in her bedroom when a suspect drove by her house near S.E. 80th Street and Sooner Road and started shooting multiple times at the house. Nesha was hit and taken to the hospital, where she died.

This was the second time a drive-by shooting happened at the home in less than a week.

The group released balloons in the air saying, “Doing it for Nesha."

Relief came when police arrested 18-year-old Daryan Jones Saturday afternoon.

Oklahoma City Police Department's gang unit officers found him trying to jump out of a second story window, before he was taken into custody in connection to the shooting.

1/3/2015 Related Story: Gang Unit Arrests Suspect In Shooting Death Of OKC Woman

"It helps, but just knowing that there are many others like him, that's pretty tough,” Dillingham said.

“I hope that he wasn't aiming for her because, why what reason would you have? She was a great girl."

Click here to learn more about the memorial fund for Nesha's family.