TAMPA, Fla. — Many questions still remain for a family suffering a pain that many of us can't comprehend.
Kila Ryker didn't have a pulse when she got to the hospital after being shot in Ybor City last year. Doctors fought to save her life — now her family wants to know who shot her.
"I prayed only a prayer a mother can pray not knowing if I was ever going to hear my baby. I'm like, just begging God, like, I will never take another phone call for granted," Rachel Sims said.
Sims was miles away in Missouri. She thought her daughter was dead when her boyfriend yelled her name and told her Kila had been shot. New video obtained by 10 Tampa Bay shows Kila stumbling through the crowd after being shot. Moments later, the 20-year-old was on the ground practically bleeding to death.
"She was shot in the femoral artery. She lost a massive mountain of blood," Sims said.
10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo spoke to Kila exclusively after her first surgeries. She was still in the hospital, lucky to be alive.
"I was losing so much blood so quick. I remember grabbing onto the wall and falling down," Ryker said.
A night out to celebrate Halloween with her best friend who was also shot turned tragic and deadly. Two people were killed and 16 others were injured that chaotic night. Months later Kila and her family are in counseling, trying to heal.
"People don't realize that our lives are shattered. Our lives don't get to go on as normal," Sims said.
Tampa police have three men in custody. Tyrell Phillips, 22, Kayden Abney, 14, and Dwayne Tillman, 21 are each charged with 2nd-degree murder. Abney apologized to 20-year-old Harrison Boonstoppel's family for his death.
"I apologize for firing the gun that killed Harrison," he said to police during an interview after the shooting.
Kila's family was led to believe the bullets Abney fired also hit Kila.
"We were contacted by Detective Kennedy, who had only contacted us one time. He was telling us that the person who shot Kila had been arrested and it was Kayden. We get a phone call a few days later and he says, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I made a mistake. It was the other victim. I got them mixed up.' How am I supposed to have faith in a system and you can't even remember which victim is who," Sims said.
Now she finds herself frustrated with communication and lack of answers. Sims says stronger penalties should've been used against the 14-year-old who had a troubled past before the shooting.
"Somebody needs to be held responsible for this stuff," Sims said.
When asked if she believes the shooting might not have happened if more repercussions had been taken with the 14-year-old, Sims said "absolutely." But because it did happen, her family's mental and physical scars will last forever.
"I refuse to let us be bitter. You know, we're angry. We're angry, but we're gonna use that anger for good and there needs to be some changes," Sims said.
We asked Tampa police if they were still searching for more shooters or anyone else who could've played a role in the shooting. They say it's an ongoing investigation and that's all the information they can release right now.
Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to more arrests in the case. FDLE, ATF, and the FBI added money to raise it to $27,000.