8-year-old girl Secoriea Turner shot & killed outside Wendy’s

ATLANTA — A mother is mourning the loss of her 8-year-old daughter who was shot and killed Saturday night in Atlanta near the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks died last month.

Officers said they responded to a 911 call near University Avenue and I-75/I-85 around 9:50 p.m. The location of the shooting was in a parking lot across the street from the now burned-out Wendy’s, which has been occupied by demonstrators since Brooks’ death at the hands of an Atlanta police officer.

Police said Turner was riding in a car with her mother and her mother’s friend when they exited the interstate at University Avenue. The driver tried to turn into the parking lot at 1238 Pryor Road when he was confronted by an “group of armed individuals” who had blocked the entrance.

“At some point, someone in that group opened fire on the vehicle, striking it multiple times and striking the child who was inside. The driver then drove to Atlanta Medical Center for help,” police said in a statement.

Police said the 911 caller told them they were heading to Atlanta Medical Center with the victim. The child, Secoriea Turner, died at the hospital.

On Sunday night, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blasted protesters who had turned violent.

“You cant blame this on a police officer. You can’t say this about criminal justice reform,” Bottoms said. “This is about some people carrying some weapons who shot up a car with an 8-year-old baby in the car for what?!?

“Enough is enough,” Bottoms continued. “If you want people to take us seriously and you don’t want us to lose this movement, we can’t lose each other.”

Before she broke down and had to be carried out the room, Seccora’s mother spoke at the news conference and said: “We understand the frustration of Rayshard Brooks. We ain’t got nothing to do with that. [We’re] innocent. We didn’t mean no harm. My baby didn’t mean no harm.”

This brought tears to my eyes. It is a shock to my system, to know that we are in the middle of the biggest civil rights movement in history, and things are indeed moving forward, yet, one thing that hasn’t stopped is blacks killing each other.

How can anyone watch what’s going on, and actually pull out a gun and kill another person? If the violence doesn’t stop now, when will it ever stop?

How are black lives supposed to matter, if black people don’t even care about each other?

The devastation of watching this young mother’s face, as she sat there speaking of her child taken too soon…

What is the world coming to?

Even more, this is all happening in Atlanta where a black mayor is present. Nobody cares that that woman is in a position of great power and the violent protestors make her look bad. If black people won’t even honor and listen to their black mayor, what chance is there for more blacks to get in these positions of power that can create great change?

How are people supposed to stop looking at black men as violent, if this continues?

Prayers for her family. Hopefully someone starts a GoFundMe for her.