COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) — One of the young victims of the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., was a Maryland native.

Josephine Gay’s parents, Bob and Michele Gay, issued a statement Thursday recalling their daughter’s “indomitable” spirit.

They say their daughter, known as “Joey,” turned 7 three days before the shooting. The statement says Joey was autistic and suffered from apraxia, a neurological disorder that affects motor skills, and could not speak. Her parents say she “touched the lives of so many around her” and “had a wonderful sense of humor.”

Joey was born in Columbia and moved to Connecticut with her family four years ago.

Her parents say their daughter loved “all things purple” and usually wore purple clothing because “she grew up in a family of Ravens fans.”

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