LAWRENCE, Ind. — When 25-year-old Jasmine Bennett woke up Monday morning, she hadn't planned on coming to work at the Dollar Tree on Pendleton Pike in Lawrence.
"She was scared the store wouldn't open on time," said Dina Ford, Jasmine's mother. "She had to go in. She just wanted to make sure the store opened up on time."
At 1:30 that afternoon, Lawrence police say 21-year-old Jalen Thomas, a former Dollar Tree employee, walked in armed with a gun.
Police say he shot Bennett more than once.
"She was my best friend. We did everything together, everything," said Ford.
Her family, including her six older siblings are now heartbroken.
"There's no like what made them do that. There's no justification to do that, so there's no answer for something that goes on in a city that you can't control," said Michael Bennett, Jasmine Bennett's brother.
"She was a good spirit and a hard worker," said Ford.
The family is leaning on faith.
"When you have nothing else, you have to have that, like just the size of a mustard seed. That's it," said Lindsay Holley, Bennett's sister.
They are hoping their faith gets them through.
"We were supposed to go the the Jonas Brothers concert and I don't even know if I can go because she was supposed to go with me. She's been everywhere with me and now she's not there. It's hard to go home. It's just an empty house," said Ford.
The family held a vigil for Jasmine on May 12 at 7 p.m. in front of the Dollar Tree.
Thomas was arrested hours later at his home by police. He was taken into custody without incident.