Ashia La Shai Moore, 16, was remembered as loyal and full of life as deputies continued investigating her shooting death.
LAKE CITY, Fla. — Friends of 16-year-old Ashia La Shai Moore are remembering the pregnant Lake City teenager as loyal, funny and full of life while investigators work to determine who was responsible for her fatal shooting.
Moore was seven months pregnant when she died, according to her family and information attributed to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in local reports. Her death has left relatives and friends grieving two expected lives while detectives continue a homicide investigation that has produced one arrest on an evidence-related charge but no publicly announced murder charge.
Columbia County deputies went to Moore’s residence at 4826 U.S. Highway 441 South at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, for a well-being check. The sheriff’s office said deputies announced their presence before entering the unlocked apartment, where they found Moore on the floor. She was dead from what authorities described as an apparent gunshot wound.
Moore’s family was notified after investigators confirmed her identity. In the hours that followed, friends gathered to talk about the teenager they knew outside the circumstances of her death. They described a young woman who valued her friendships and brought people together. One friend, Sip Pierce, remembered Moore as “a ball of light” whose place in her friends’ lives would endure.
Friends also spoke about the future Moore had expected as she prepared to become a mother. The pregnancy added another layer of grief for those close to her, who said they had recently spent time with Moore and had not expected the sudden loss.
The sheriff’s office said detectives identified 17-year-old Dominique Santonio Hill as a person of interest during the investigation. Hill was interviewed and later arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility without bond, according to authorities.
Investigators have not publicly accused Hill of killing Moore. The sheriff’s office has not announced a homicide charge against him, and his identification as a person of interest does not establish guilt. Authorities also have not publicly explained what evidence Hill is accused of tampering with or how that allegation relates to the circumstances surrounding Moore’s death.
Several central questions remained unanswered Friday. Investigators have not released a motive, identified the person who fired the fatal shot or provided a detailed account of what happened before Moore was found. Authorities also have not publicly said whether they recovered the firearm used in the shooting.
For Moore’s friends, the investigation is unfolding alongside an intensely personal loss. Their descriptions focused on a teenager they said was smart, funny and dependable, rather than on the unresolved criminal case now surrounding her death. The memories offered a fuller picture of Moore as detectives continued gathering evidence and information.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said the homicide investigation remains active. No additional homicide charge had been publicly announced as of Friday, Sept. 11, and investigators continued seeking information that could help establish the circumstances of Moore’s death.
Author note: Last updated September 11, 2026.