ACWORTH, Ga. — Police are searching for the person who killed a Cherokee County Firefighter and his wife in their new home in Acworth.
Family said Justin Hicks, 31, and Amber Hicks, 31, were childhood sweethearts, growing up down the street from each other. They loved each other for more than half of their lives.
"We would play kickball, and I remember at 12 years old, Justin telling us, I'm going to marry her one day, I am going to marry her one day," Amber's cousin Kirstyn Bauer said.
The Hicks' 2-year-old son, Jacob, was at the home when his parents were found shot to death. He was rescued by police unharmed Thursday morning. He went straight into the arms of his grandparents.
The family added they can't think of any reason they would be targeted.
"They loved everybody. They would do anything for anybody. And their baby was their world. Oh they loved Jacob. He was their world," Bauer said.
Both served the community, Justin was a firefighter and Amber was an audiologist assistant who worked with seniors.
"I keep thinking I am going to wake up and this is going to be a nightmare. This doesn't happen, this just doesn't happen," Bauer said.
Bauer says Amber's mom passed away when she was three months old from cancer, and their fathers raised them together as sisters.
Now, the family is just trying to make sense of what happened.
"They have to find the person who did this. We have to have justice for them. No one deserves this. But, definitely not those two," Amber's cousin, Brandi Wait, said.
On Friday, tributes began pouring in from friends and family.
"How amazing they are, they would do anything for anybody. Their hearts are golden. Their hearts are full of love and compassion," Bauer said.
Wait added you could call Amber at 3 a.m. and she'd be there for you, no questions asked.
Meanwhile, Amber's best friend since elementary school, Audrey Logan, said she doesn't want their memory to get lost in the tragedy of what happened to them.
"I want people to know how much love was in their hearts, and how much love they had as a family. She loved him with her whole heart and he loved her. They wanted so much for Jacob and his life. I want people to know all the good they did in the world," Logan said.
Family and friends are hoping someone will come forward with answers.
"I am just hoping for answers, some clarity of what happened and why. I don't know that we will ever have that, but we want justice," Logan said.
Police have not yet released new information in the case on Friday and have not identified any possible suspects, or if anything was taken from the home.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been started for Justin and Amber's funeral and memorial services.
