Cherish Williams: Georgia teen's phone goes off during robbery, suspects gun her down

Cherish Williams, a senior at Mundy's Mill High School in Jonesboro, Georgia, was gunned down in a park on December 31, 2016. Clayton County police are looking for three black males.

UPDATE: Police have told Cherish Williams' family that justice may be near: They have a lead in the murder case.

“I know it’s my daughter. I’ve cried. I’ve been angry but right now I’m so happy to find out we have a lead,” Cherish’s mother, Robin Reid, told Fox 5 Atlanta.

On Tuesday, Clayton County police announced that they had a "hot lead" in the investigation, but didn't release further details.

Original Story below:

Cherish Williams was a senior at Mundy's Mill High School in Jonesboro, Georgia. A "very loving person ... fun person," her mother told local media. Cherish wanted to go to college in 2017 and study forensics. Instead her family will spend the start of the new year planning her funeral.

Cherish was listening to music with a couple friends in a Jonesboro park, about 15 minutes outside Atlanta, on New Year's Eve when three men walked up to them and demanded that they hand over all their valuables. When they ordered Cherish to get out of the car, her phone went off. One of the suspects opened fire on Cherish, killing her.

"I don't know how it happened or how it could happen, it was a nightmare," your mother, Robin Reid told CBS46. "They held a gun on her friend and on her. Her phone lit up.  They said she had called the police and they shot her."

After they shot the teenager, the suspects fled. Cherish's friends all jumped into the car and was rushing to the hospital when they flagged down an officer.

Robin Reid told WXIA that the news has absolutely shattered her.

"You're never prepared for any news like that as a parent. I wouldn't wish that on nobody," Reid told the TV station. "It's a hard pill to swallow."

Adding to the anguish is that Clayton County police don't know who shot Cherish. The suspects are still at large.

Reid said that the suspects need to be caught. 

"I don't really think they know what they were doing, but at the same time, you took a life," she was quoted as saying. "You took a life that was precious to me and we need justice for that."

As for the girl's friends, Reid has a special message for them. "They did everything possible," Reid told CBS46. I know Cherish loves you, she's not mad."

Cherish's family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.