Family: Man killed in Carrollton tried to turn his life around

Family mourns man police said died after being shot by three teens

Tyrone Boykin was found with a gunshot wound in Carrollton, Georgia, and later pronounced dead at Tanner Medical Center. His family said he was trying to turn his life around. Police said Boykin was in what witnesses called a shootout.

CARROLLTON, Ga. - The family of a man killed in Carrollton said he was trying to turn his life around. 

Three teens arrested for Carrollton murder

The backstory:

Tyrone Boykin, 46, died Friday after being shot in the 100 block of Magnolia Street around noon. 

Preliminary witness statements suggest an exchange of gunfire took place between Boykin and multiple males in the roadway, according to police.

Police said officers arrested three teens in connection with the murder: Kimauri Farmer, 18, of Carrollton; Joshawia Davis Jr., 17, of Bowdon; and a 15-year-old juvenile, also from Bowdon.

Kimauri Farmer, 18, of Carrollton; Joshawia Davis Jr., 17, arrested in Carrollton. (Carroll County)

Boykin tried to turn his life around

What they're saying:

Boykin's aunt, Vallary Farmer, said he was trying to turn his life around before the shooting. 

Tyrone Boykin with his family. 

"He (Tyrone) stopped getting in the street he had stopped hanging out. He wasn't doing anything that I knew that was wrong," Farmer said. "Tyrone used to be bad. He used to be a bad person back in his day, just like these little boys came yesterday, but he changed himself around."

She was sad to hear about his death. "It's not a good thing at all. Nobody should go through nothing like that," she told FOX 5.

She said she's praying for the teens accused of Boykin's murder. 

"I understand one of the little guys played football for Carrollton. And his life is just totally gone now. He don't have anything to look forward to and I hate that," Farmer said. "I pray that these kids that is still out here in the world would take a good look at what just happened and would try to change their life."