Secoriea Turner’s family calls Rick Jackson’s campaign ads ‘evil’

ATLANTA - The family of Secoriea Turner, the 8-year-old killed at an armed roadblock in Atlanta in 2020, is demanding that Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson stop using her image and recordings connected to her death in campaign ads.

What we know:

Attorneys representing the family held a news conference Thursday in downtown Atlanta, saying the campaign materials are causing renewed anguish. They said Secoriea’s mother, Charmaine Turner, was too distraught to attend.

Family says campaign ignored earlier request

What they're saying:

The attorneys said they previously sent Jackson’s campaign a letter asking it to stop using Secoriea’s image in campaign fliers. Now, her image and 911 audio associated with the shooting is being used in a television advertisement.

An attorney shared Charmaine Turner’s reaction to the commercial.

"This is pure evil for someone to use my daughter’s image to run for an office," the attorney said, quoting Turner.

The attorneys said their earlier letter made clear that the family had not given permission to use the child’s image and that the campaign materials were hurting them.

They are now publicly calling on Jackson’s campaign to pull the television ads.

Jackson campaign responds

The other side:

A Jackson campaign spokesperson issued a written statement ahead of the news conference acknowledging the family’s loss.

"We cannot imagine the immense pain the Turner family has gone through. They are not a political talking point," the statement said.

The campaign said the family’s tragedy was a major reason Jackson is running for governor. It also blamed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, accusing her of an "abdication of her duty."

The statement did not say whether the campaign would stop using the ads.

Deadly shooting at barricade

The backstory:

Secoriea was killed on July 4, 2020, on University Avenue near an improvised barricade close to a burned Wendy's where police shot Rayshard Brooks weeks earlier. 

She was riding in a Jeep with her mother when gunfire erupted as the driver attempted to navigate past a blockage at Pryor Road and University Avenue. 

A jury found Julian Conley guilty in September 2025, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 years. 

Turner's family is pursuing a lawsuit against the city over her death, which occurred while Keisha Lance Bottoms was mayor. Bottoms is now running for governor against Jackson.

Rick Jackson's full response

The other side:

The Rick Jackson campaign sent the following statement on Thursday morning before the news conference:

"We cannot imagine the immense pain the Turner family has gone through. They are not a political talking point. They are one of the major reasons why Rick is running - so that another family does not have to experience such a devastating tragedy as a result of Keisha Lance Bottoms’ abdication of her duty. While she has fought against the Turner Family’s wishes for more than five years, Keisha Lance Bottoms must apologize to the Turner family and encourage the City of Atlanta to settle the family’s lawsuit, which rightly points out the utter negligence that led to this loss." - Garrison Douglas, Rick Jackson campaign spokesman

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