After two children in Georgia were fatally shot over the weekend in what was to believed to be a home invasion, the investigators have revealed that the kids were actually the unintended targets of gang retaliation.
Clayton county Police Chief Michael Register said during a new conference on Tuesday that the shooting that took place on Saturday morning was “gang-related,” and that “the individuals involved in this appear to be members of a metro Atlanta gang,” according to People.
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The two victims, 15-year-old Daveon Coates and his 11-year-old sister Tatiyana Coates were not the intended targets for the shooters. Chief Register has not revealed the gang responsible for the murders.
Around 5 a.m. on Saturday, the gang members opened fire on the home. There were five children present, but no adults were there at the time. Daveon and Tatiyana were killed, but the other three were unharmed.
The victim’s mother, Tenieka Brown, allowed one of her friends and her kids to move into their family’s home in Jonesboro, Georgia a few weeks earlier, Register revealed. The woman that moved into Brown’s home from Tennessee had a 15-year-old boy that was likely the intended target.
While living in Chattanooga, Tennessee, “The 15-year-old boy had been involved in gang activity,” Register said. He continued by saying, “we believe an act he committed against a local gang here made them retaliate in such a vicious manner.”
The night before Daveon and Tatiyana were killed, Register said that the “punks, cowards, and murderers” had been by the Brown’s home in search of the 15-year-old boy.
Prior to the murders on Saturday, the teen realized he was in danger and then took off for Chattanooga. According to Chief Register, the Atlanta-based gang members followed the teen to Tennessee, and that there was another gang-related shooting in Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon. A Chattanooga Police Department spokeswoman told People that no one was injured in the shooting and that no arrests were made.
Register explained that his detectives cooperated with the authorities in Chattanooga to track down the 15-year-old boy and he is now in police custody.
“We feel that the 15-year-old is a critical element in the case, and we also want to ensure his safety,” Register said. “Until we find those who are responsible for the crime, we will continue to dedicate our resources to this case.”
Earlier this week, Ms. Brown spoke to People about her two children that were killed.
“Daveon was really into basketball and football,” she said. “He followed the Tennessee Titans and the Tennessee Volunteers. His idol was LeBron James.”
In regards to Tatiyana, Brown said that she was your average little girl who “loved playing outside.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up by Taneika Brown in order to raise money for a funeral.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Taneika Brown and her family at this difficult time.
What are your thoughts on the deaths of these two children as a result of gang retaliation?
[H/T People]
