On the day that the man who caused her death was sentenced, surviving members of Ayanna Morgan’s family said they were determined to honor her memory going forward.

Morgan, 21, died from a gunshot wound on July 24, 2023, a day after she and Malik Jones were involved in a struggle over a handgun she had brought while confronting him in the parking lot at The Muse apartment complex.

Jones, 33, pleaded guilty in December to second-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence, avoiding a trial for murder that could have seen him end up with a life sentence.

Jones accepted a plea agreement recommending a 10-year sentence on the manslaughter and tampering counts, to be served consecutively to a 5-year sentence in an unrelated case for a total sentence of 15 years.

Warren Circuit Court Judge John Grise sentenced Jones according to the terms of his plea agreement on Monday.

At the sentencing hearing, Morgan’s mother, Misha-el Baskerville and her grandmother, Veronica Hiriams, read written statements that elaborated on the heavy emotional toll Morgan’s death has exacted on her surviving loved ones.

“She was a beacon of hope and light … and this world is dimmer without her vibrant spirit,” Baskerville said of her daughter. “Never in a million years did I expect this tragedy to happen, and I hate it with my entire being, I hate it.”

Baskerville described Morgan as “the epitome of Black girl magic, kindness and unwavering determination.”

A talented high school basketball player in Louisville, Morgan attended Western Kentucky University and was studying veterinary medicine with an eye toward becoming a veterinary technician, and was a year away from graduating.

“I’m determined to honor her memory in every way I possibly can,” Baskerville said.

Hiriams said that the loss of her granddaughter is all the more painful for her since she was celebrating her birthday when she received word that Morgan had been shot.

Hiriams acknowledged that she continues to struggle with the loss of someone to whom she devoted years of time and care.

“Even with my deep faith in God, I still question why … she was taken from us at 21 years old,” Hiriams said.

Jones read a written statement in which he apologized to Morgan’s family.

His twin brother, Malcolm Jones, was given a 12-month sentence in the case after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree assault, part of a 10-year sentence he is to serve for a number of unrelated offenses.

The two brothers were at the apartment complex on the evening of July 24, 2023, and Malik Jones said something to Morgan, who was standing on the balcony outside her apartment.

Morgan went downstairs to confront Jones, chasing him around a vehicle with a handgun, according to prior court testimony.

Malik Jones testified at a trial for possessing a handgun while being a convicted felon that he got into the vehicle to get away from Morgan, but she opened the door which led to a physical struggle between the two over the gun, during which it discharged, mortally wounding Morgan.

Jones, who was acquitted of the possession charge, left the scene with his brother and two other people, tossing the gun out of the window after he had taken it from Morgan.

Kobee Lancaster, who was identified as the driver who took the Jones brothers and another person from The Muse, has pleaded not guilty to multiple criminal counts stemming from the incident.