Nearly 100 Medical Lake residents came together Thursday night to remember 11-year-old Lilly Stolworthy, who was allegedly shot and killed by her older brother on Sunday before he turned the gun on himself.
A table stood outside Medical Lake's Wilcox Park with flowers, candles and collages of Lilly. Gatherers grabbed a red wax candle and stood in silence, walking past the table to admire the photos and posters her friends had made to honor her.
"Silly, sleepy, pretty, funny lil' Lilly" one poster said. "You are missed."
Lilly was found lying in the road in Medical Lake near her home on North Prentis Street. According to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, she had been approached by her older brother when witnesses heard gunshots, followed by a Ford Mustang speeding from the area. Her brother, identified as Jordan Brownlow in court records, was found 20 minutes later slumped over in a car with a pistol in his hand in what the sheriff's office called an apparent attempt at a murder-suicide.
According to court records, Lilly had run away from home around Thanksgiving, so her family gave some of her items to Brownlow to store. She returned home wanting the items back, court records said, and went out with Brownlow to his car to get them. When she didn't come back inside the house, her adoptive mother, Darel Stolworthy, went outside and found her in the street.
Natasha Hargrave organized the vigil for Lilly. She said her daughter, 12-year-old Arianna, came to her after Lilly's death and said, "Mom, we need to have a candlelight vigil."
"I told her, 'Absolutely,' " Hargrave said. "Lilly and her have been best friends since kindergarten."
Hargrave said Lilly was "just like any other kid." She had a big heart with a little bit of attitude, but she was loving, Hargrave said, and an amazing friend to her daughter.
Lilly's mother addressed the crowd, which was shivering in the cold. She thanked them for braving the weather to be there.
"As I look out around to all these faces that were a part of Lilly's life, it brings me joy," Stolworthy said, adding that she felt blessed Lilly was friends with people who cared for her and kept her safe.
Stolworthy previously told The Spokesman-Review that the shooting was a result of an escalation from severe mental health issues. She said both Lilly and her brother were struggling at the same time.
"Get help if you need it," Stolworthy told the crowd. "She would want you to be happy and healthy. Use her as an example to get help if you need it. Be kind to one another."
Patty Herker spoke up, too. She said her great-grandchildren live right down the street from Lilly and her family, and "the kids talked about her all the time."
"She was just so nice. I never had any issues," Herker said later. "She was always so polite. The kids loved her ... We are going to miss her a lot."
