Mother speaks out after 18-year-old killed during vape purchase
Georgia mother speaks after son fatally shot in Paulding
A heartbroken mother is speaking out after her 18-year-old son was shot and killed in his own neighborhood during a vape pen transaction while she was picking up food.
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - A mourning mother is speaking out after her teenage son was shot and killed in his own neighborhood during a vape pen transaction last week, according to Paulding County investigators.
Shawnita Goosby shared the memory of her 18-year-old son, Sir Ethan Dupree Jones, describing him as a respectful young man with a big heart.
What we know:
Authorities arrested four people in connection with the killing, noting the youngest suspect is only 15 years old.
- Justin Mason Joseph, 15, who faces charges as an adult
- Monsour Darwish, 17
- Muhamad Rabeea Darwish, 19
- Mohammad Basem Khatib, 20
Goosby said she had left her home for about an hour to go to the grocery store when the tragedy unfolded. She sent a final text message to her son asking what he wanted to eat from Chick-fil-A right before finding the chaotic scene at the front of their neighborhood.
RELATED: 18-year-old killed over vape purchase in Paulding County, police say
The grieving mother explained that her close-knit family has received an outpouring of messages from friends who say Jones motivated them to stay in school. She says she believes this type of tragedy could happen to anyone. Goosby believes her family did all the right things, but still have been impacted by youth violence.
"I don't believe I'm someone that from the outside, people will believe that something like this will happen to you. Based upon like, our family structure," Goosby said.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet released when Jones' body will be released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
A funeral date has not been scheduled because the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is still holding the body of Jones. It remains unclear when investigators will release his body to the family, though a GoFundMe campaign has been established to support them.
To see the GoFundMe, click here.
What they're saying:
"The thing that keeps me up is thinking about my son running away and collapsing in the street and me not being there," Goosby said.
The mother warned that communities will continue to face broken hearts unless people find a way to stop youth violence.
"Unless we can figure out a way to do something about it, there's going to be a lot more, weeping mothers, broken-hearted siblings and broken communities," Goosby said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Shawnita Goosby, who shared her personal account and text messages, as well as Paulding County investigators.