KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: Violent crime is not routine, and it is not just a statistic. Behind every victim is a family and a community, and WBIR wants to make sure the people who fall victim to it are not forgotten. More than a Number is a series meant to share their stories and highlight their humanity.
Janaria Muhammad was 15 years old in 2021. She was a freshman at Austin-East High School and was heading home in February, after a regular school day. Steps from her front door though, she was fatally shot.
The Knoxville Police Department is still searching for her killer, more than three years later. This year would have been the year she graduated high school. Her father, Lawrence Muhammad, said she would bring happiness to the people around her when she was alive. It's a part of her legacy, he said.
"She was always lively, joyful," he said. "When you see that sun come up, she is rising with it."
He said he would call her "Nana," and described her as his shadow. Wherever he went, he said Janaria was not far behind.
"My right arm, that's right. She was memorable," he said. "I wish she was here, I wish she was here. I wanted to help her be who she wanted to be."
Her father still mourns. He misses her, and he said her death was devastating for the community as well. He said even as a freshman at Austin-East High School, everybody knew her as a person who stayed up to date on fashion trends and who took plenty of pictures.
"The whole neighborhood would be lined up outside. So, that's what I miss about her," said Lawrence. "The hype girl, that was Jana and her friends. They would hype each other up."
Three years since she was killed, she still brings a smile to the people who knew her.
"She was bold and she didn't mind getting with you if wanted to play, and she wanted to do it. There's no stopping her," said Lawrence. "She wanted to be a winner. She's still a winner. She won the hearts of many."
Anyone with information about her or the person responsible for her death should reach out to the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.