A man was arrested Thursday in connection with the deadly shooting of a 13-year-old girl back in August in North Lauderdale, authorities said.
Broward Sheriff's Office detectives arrested 22-year-old Christopher Marc and charged him with manslaughter with a firearm in the Aug. 21 shooting of Samyiah James, deputies announced in a news release.
The shooting happened that night in the 400 block of Southwest 12th Court in North Lauderdale, where deputies found James suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
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James was set to start the seventh grade when her life was cut short, her mother said.
“I just fell out when I got that news — I literally fell out," Lolita Catis said. "My daughter had to pick me up and put me inside the car because I was out of it, just screaming and yelling and crying, like, I couldn’t imagine that my daughter was gone."
Detectives said before the shooting, James got into an argument with people inside of a vehicle.
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“This was a 13-year-old child and her actions could in no way be perceived as a threat," a prosecutor said in bond court. "It was as a result that she threw a drink inside the car and as a result of that she was shot from behind.”
At some point, Marc shot the teen, and the vehicle drove away.
"Saw my daughter laying on the ground like she was asleep, blood all over her on one side of her chest," Catis told NBC6 back in August. "Her mouth was halfway open like she was trying to catch her breath."
Seven months later, Catis was happy to hear police made an arrest.
“I’m so happy, I’m so happy that they got the person," she said. "I’m not happy because my daughter is gone, because I can’t bring my daughter back, but it’s a weight off of me, because they arrested the guy."
While she was relieved there was an arrest, Catis said she wants the suspect to face more severe charges.
Marc is being held in jail without bond.
