Family and friends gather on the first anniversary of Ta'Kiya Young's death

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — It was a gathering of those close to Ta'Kiya Young to celebrate her.

Young was shot and killed by a Blendon Township police officer in August 2023 while six months pregnant.

Conner Grubb, whose bail was set at $250,000 earlier this month, shot Young after she was accused of theft.

The message of those present was: they demanded responsibility and justice.

“Justice for Ta'Kiya,” said Nadine Young, Ta'Kiya’s grandmother.

Her grandmother had mourned the loss of a loved one last year.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” said Nadine.

She sees colors differently now.

“I got the gold balloons because she is gold to me, the purple (balloons) because she is royalty and means a lot to me,” she said, her blue hair matching Ta'kiya's.

She mourns the loss of Ta'Kiya and her unborn grandchild.

“We lost two people at once and were eagerly awaiting the birth of the baby, we were worried about the little girl,” she said.

Nadine is raising Ta'Kiya's two sons, a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old. Through all of this, one of her boys recently talked about what he wants to be when he grows up.

“One of his sons said he was going to be a police officer and be the best police officer he could be. He wouldn't hurt anyone like the man who hurt his mother,” Nadine said.

The family has held events in her honor in the past, but this was the first since Grubb was charged with murder.

“If that one-year milestone had passed and there had been no charges, it would have been very hard on the family,” said Sean Walton, the Young family's attorney. “Because this happened last year, they had to wait every day for Ta'Kiya's killer to be held accountable in some way. Now we have that sense of accountability on the horizon, so it's a little easier for the family to honor her life again by thinking about who she was and not having to think about fighting, but about their love again.”

“Her life is incalculable, she and her daughter had so much promise,” said Ashley Martin, Justice, Unity and Social Transformation’s director of operations.