The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Secoriea’s parents plead for witnesses
‘Somebody knows something,’ mom says. ‘I just want to know why.’
“If you know something, say something,” father implores nine days after little girl is shot.
Nine days after their little girl was fatally shot in southwest Atlanta, the parents of Secoriea Turner pleaded for witnesses to come forward.
“If you know something, say something,” said Secoriea’s father, Secoriya Williamson, during a Monday news conference. “Do what’s right. You will not be labeled as a snitch. You’ll be labeled as a hero.”
Attorney Mawuli Davis, who represents the family, said the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible has been increased to $50,000, thanks to private donors.
On Sunday, Atlanta police released a photo of a second person of interest in connection to 8-year-old Secoriea’s death. She was killed a little after 9:30 p.m. on July 4. Investigators say as many as four people shot into her mother’s SUV in a parking lot off University Avenue, near the Wendy’s restaurant where protesters had maintained a presence for weeks. Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer, since fired and facing felony murder and other charges, on June 12 following a struggle during a DUI arrest.
“The police have their job and we as a community have ours,” community activist and former Atlanta City Council member Derrick Boazman said Monday. “No
longer can we sit back and wait. The reason we can’t wait is there is a killer or killers still out there.”
Boazman is organizing a door-to-door canvas of nearby neighborhoods to search for information about Secoriea’s death.
The rising third-grader was shot after her mother encountered an unauthorized roadblock, police say.
“Somebody knows something,” Charmaine Turner said Monday. “Call me. I just want to know why.”
During a news conference the day after the shooting, Turner described what happened just before Secoriea was shot.
“They didn’t give us time to make a U-turn,” she said of the people blocking the road. “They shot my tires before we had time to turn around. She died in my arms.”
Davis vowed to find out why armed civilians were able to take control of a major city street, erecting concrete barriers in the middle of University Avenue and deciding who would be allowed to pass.
“We are investigating why that was allowed, what private and public entities, allowed that to take place,” Davis said. “It is concerning and alarming and as much as people don’t want to talk about race, we are certain that in other parts of this city, that would’ve been allowed to be maintained.
It just wouldn’t have.”
Protesters who have demonstrated at the Wendy’s and want the site turned into a community peace center named in Brooks’ memory said they were not affiliated with, and did not know, the people blocking the road.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had been informed of the blockade at least 45 minutes before learning of Secoriea’s death on July 4. Asked why the road wasn’t cleared, interim Atlanta Police Department Chief Rodney Bryant blamed a busy night.
During a meeting last week with the editorial board of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the mayor said that police had planned to shut down the protests weeks ago. But Bottoms said she agreed to allow Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd more time to negotiate with demonstrators. Bottoms also said she had ridden through the area the week prior to the fatal shooting and found things to be peaceful.
Atlanta police Lt. Pete Malecki said last week that investigators believe the shots were fired intentionally.
Secoriea’s funeral will be held Wednesday at New Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Because of concerns about COVID19, only those with an invitation can attend the memorial service. A public viewing will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Murray Brothers Funeral Home.