Hundreds gather at candlelight vigil for KSU student killed on campus by her ex-boyfriend – WSB-TV Channel 2

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“My favorite thing about Lay Lay is her laugh. I hate that a lot of people will never get to experience that. “Lay Lay laughed with all her teeth in her mouth,” said Thalia Sims.

From her roommate to her friends, her classmates, the other members of the Student Government Association and the Home Depot where she worked, people came to Swift Cantrell Park to remember the bright young life that was cut short over the weekend.

“The fact that she was taken away from us so harshly is not fair,” said a friend.

Also in the crowd was Franklin’s family, who had traveled hours from Cairo, Georgia, to be there.

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“If I had to drive ten hours, I would definitely come and see the turnout. That means she wasn’t just goofing around, she was actually being productive,” said Franklin’s mother, Alinda Fortner.

Friends shared memories and released balloons.

And afterward, dozens lined up to tell her mother about the impact her daughter had left on them.

“That’s what keeps me together, because I see the joy,” Fortner said.

Dressed in purple, Franklin’s favorite color, she called for her legacy to live on, hoping her story would serve as a warning and help others.

While they wait for justice, they will celebrate the woman whose bright light was stolen from them.

“I can be sure that she lived right,” Fortner added.

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