Vigil planned for mother of 4 killed in shooting at Jacksonville gas station

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family and friends plan to gather Thursday evening to remember a mother of four who was found shot to death at a gas station on Lem Turner Road over the weekend.

Loved ones said a vigil honoring Tayda Smith, 28, is set for 6:30 p.m. near pump nine at the Raceway gas station where she was shot about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. They said they also hope to raise awareness about the c

The family said they believe Smith was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Loved ones described Smith as an inspirational speaker, a generous friend and a loving mother. They don’t know why anyone would want to hurt her.

“She’s going to be really missed,” Anisha Haynes, Smith’s sister, told News4JAX earlier this week. “Everybody loved her. She doesn’t have an enemy to this world.”

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Haynes and her mother, Tanika Byrd, tell News4JAX that Smith had a podcast where she would take calls from listeners and pray for them or counsel them.

“She touched a lot a lot of lives. She really [has],” Byrd said.

According to police, Smith’s body was found lying against the gas pump next to a car.

“Really shocked because I know she wasn’t into nothing. Didn’t have nobody that wanted to do this to her, so it was really like, you know, like they got the wrong person,” Haynes said.

Smith leaves behind four daughters ages 1 to 9.

“She loved her girls,” Byrd said. “She loved her girls dearly and her girls loved her.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is active. No arrests have been announced.

Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or email [email protected]. To remain anonymous and receive a possible reward of up to $3,000, contact First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).