Mother mourns 17-year-old son killed in Savannah: 'You’re not supposed to bury your kid'

Mother spends Christmas grieving son slain in Savannah

A Gwinnett County mother is spending her first Christmas without her son as Savannah police continue searching for the people responsible for his killing earlier this month.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Gwinnett County mother is spending her first Christmas without her son as Savannah police continue searching for the people responsible for his killing earlier this month.

What they're saying:

Children’s book author Tyesha Abdullah said her 17-year-old son, Antonio Thornton, was murdered while visiting family in Savannah. She said she got the call early Sunday morning, Dec. 14, and is still struggling to process what happened.

"Sunday morning, I get a call that my son was killed," Abdullah said.

More than a week later, she said the loss still feels unreal.

"I lost my best friend. I lost my best friend. I lost my best friend," she said.

Abdullah lives in Gwinnett County but said Thornton was in Savannah at the time of the shooting. She described the past days as overwhelming and said the grief has taken a physical and emotional toll.

"I can’t eat. I can’t get up. He’s my firstborn. He’s my best friend. We’ve been through everything together," Abdullah said. "Your kid is supposed to bury you. You’re not supposed to bury your kid."

She said Thornton was preparing to graduate in May 2026 and had plans for college.

"He’s in two honor classes. He’s a good child. His principals have reached out to me. His teachers have reached out to me, just telling me how good of a child my child was," she said.

Abdullah said the hardest part is not knowing why her son was killed.

"To lose your child at 17, when he was about to graduate and walk across the stage and then go off to college and start his life, to lose him to gun violence, senseless things, and you don’t know why. You don’t know why," she said.

Overcome with emotion, Abdullah said she is unsure how to move forward without him.

"I lost my best friend. He was my best friend. We do everything together. I don’t know how to move on without him," she said through tears.

What we don't know:

Savannah police have not announced any arrests and say the investigation into Thornton’s killing remains ongoing.

What you can do:

Family and friends have started a GoFundMe page to help support Abdullah as she mourns her son.