Family raising funds after 3-year-old killed in East Point shooting
Jianna Jones. Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
EAST POINT, Ga. - Family members of a 3-year-old boy who died in an accidental shooting last week in East Point are raising money to help with funeral expenses.
ORIGINAL STORY: 3-year-old dies after shooting in home on Hawthorne Way in East Point
A GoFundMe page identifies the child as Jianni Jones and describes him as "a beautiful, bright soul — full of laughter." The page says his funeral is scheduled for Friday, July 18, and had raised nearly $1,200 of its $8,000 goal as of Monday morning.
What we know:
Jones died after being shot at a home on Hawthorne Way on July 2. East Point police said officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of Hawthorne Way, near Newnan Street, just after noon in response to reports of a shooting.
When officers arrived, they found the boy unresponsive with a single gunshot wound. A firearm was found near him and secured by officers at the scene. Several family members were inside the home at the time of the incident, according to police.
Jones was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
FOX 5 Atlanta has not received a positive ID from officials.
What they're saying:
Neighbors told FOX 5 they recognized the home as a short-term rental listed on Airbnb. One neighbor, Marquita Hillman, said she came outside after hearing multiple sirens.
"I came outside when I heard, like, a couple of sirens out here, and then the next thing you know, it was so many police cars out here," she said. Hillman described seeing a woman she believed to be the boy’s mother in extreme distress. "She was very hysterical. Crying, real frantic," Hillman said. "They ended up taking her, and I guess a couple of other adults that went home. I did see another small child that was there, too."
"It was very emotional. A lot of crying and hugging. You know, just very sad," Hillman added. "They have to be more careful with firearms around these babies."
Big picture view:
Several children in the metro Atlanta area have been injured or killed recently by gunfire. They include a 15-year-old boy and 10-year-old boy who were shot June 21 during an argument over a relationship on June 21; 12-year-old boy caught in crossfire between two groups on June 12 at an apartment complex in southwest Atlanta; a 6-year-old child wounded in crossfire between two vehicles in Smyrna on June 16; a 12-year-old killed at an apartment complex on Cushman Circle SW on June 12; a 15-year-old shot at an apartment complex in northwest Atlanta on June 11; a 7-year-old girl allegedly shot and killed June 13 by her aunt's estranged husband; and an 8-year-old shot during a fight in South Fulton on June 6.
Additionally, 19-year-old man was allegedly shot in Paulding County by a 3-year-old who found a gun on June 23.
RELATED STORIES
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- 6-year-old wounded in crossfire between cars in Smyrna
- 12-year-old boy fatally shot in southwest Atlanta crossfire identified
- Atlanta police increase reward in shooting that killed 12-year-old boy
- 15-year-old boy shot in northwest Atlanta; authorities seek suspect
- DeKalb County family mourns woman, child killed in shooting
- 8-year-old shot during fight in South Fulton, police say
What's next:
The East Point Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is leading the ongoing investigation. Authorities have not said who owns the firearm or how the shooting occurred.