She wanted to get away from her ex. Police say he then shot her outside work.

The Brief

• Family and friends believe Elaijia Whitley was killed in a domestic violence incident involving her partner.
• Police found Whitley shot inside her car outside her job but have not identified a suspect or motive.
• Loved ones held a pink balloon release, remembering Whitley as kindhearted and ambitious with dreams of working in medicine.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Family and friends gathered Sunday outside the Pleasant Hill shopping center in Gwinnett County to remember 21-year-old Elaijia Whitley, who police say was found shot to death outside her job two days earlier.

What's next:

Whitley was discovered in her car with a gunshot wound Friday afternoon outside the BioLife Plasma Services center, along Pleasant Hill Road, where she worked, according to Gwinnett County police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers said she was found inside her car with a gunshot wound but have not released details on a suspect or motive.

FOX 5 has reached out to the Gwinnett County Police Department for additional details.

Woman shot, killed in Duluth shopping center parking lot

A woman was found shot to death inside her car Friday afternoon at a busy Gwinnett County shopping center, police said.

What we know:

The memorial took place at the Pleasant Hill shopping center, home to the BioLife Plasma Services center where Whitley worked and where police discovered her body Friday afternoon.

Loved ones returned to the site Sunday dressed in pink and carrying balloons to celebrate her life. They described Whitley as kindhearted and ambitious, with dreams of working in the medical field.

What they're saying:

Family members told FOX 5 they believe Whitley was the victim of domestic violence and say her partner may have been responsible. Investigators have not identified a suspect or released a motive.

"We were afraid of this happening," said her mother, Davontay Whitley. "We were just praying and hoping that she left the situation before this happened or that whatever treatment or healing he needed, he got."

Family and friends released pink balloons to honor 21-year-old Elaijia Whitley, who police say was found shot to death outside her job at BioLife Plasma Services, at the Promenade at Pleasant Hill shopping center in Gwinnett County on Nov. 2, 2025.

Her mother, Marcie Uzomah, was out of state when she learned the news.

"I kept saying it's not true because she was just such a beautiful person," Uzomah said. "She didn't deserve this and she wouldn't harm a flea."

"Her energy was just so contagious, she made you want to dance, she made you want to laugh, made you want to sing. She had a child-like spirit," said her mother, Marcie Uzomah.

Whitley's brother described her as a hard worker chasing her dreams in the medical field.

"She was in school, working two jobs, had just got her first apartment, her first car and was moving on up in the world," he said.

Through their grief, the family hopes Whitley's story encourages others to seek help before it's too late.

"Don't be afraid to leave," her brother said. "If a man puts his hands on you, he will kill you. It's serious. Even if he threatens you verbally, they'll kill you."

What we don't know:

Police have not said who shot Elaijia Whitley or whether anyone is in custody.

Authorities have not shared what led up to the gunfire or whether there were witnesses in the parking lot that afternoon.

Elaijia Whitley

It's also unclear how long Whitley had been inside her car before officers arrived.

Gwinnett County police have not released details about possible evidence recovered at the scene or whether surveillance video from nearby businesses captured the shooting.

What's next:

The family has set up a GoFundMe to honor her.

Source: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/promenade-pleasant-hills-duluth-gwinnett-county-vigil-elaija-whitley