BUCKHEAD, Ga. — For the first time, we’re hearing from the family of 21-year-old Mari Creighton's family. The rising senior and volleyball player at Albany State University is one of two people killed after shots rang out early Sunday at Elleven45 Lounge in Buckhead.
As the calls for the club to close grow louder, the family is mourning the loss of their youngest sister, who they say had a bright future that was cut short too soon.
"Everybody dropped the ball that night. Nobody should’ve been in the club with a gun," Tiffany Eason, Mari's oldest sister, said.
More than disappointed, she said the family is looking for accountability. Atlanta Police said a single shooter opened fire at the club and shot six people, including Tiffany's daughter Taylor, who was celebrating her birthday. She was discharged from the hospital Thursday.
"We definitely want whoever did it to be caught," Teila Wheeler, Mari's middle sister, said.
The family said they felt helpless and went numb when they got the call that shots had been fired. They said they didn't learn Mari had been killed until the next day.
Now they're empty without Mari’s shining light.
"She has never been in any trouble, straight A student, on track to graduate. She was many things, and she was very special to us and my mom. She was the golden child. She definitely was," Wheeler said.
As they remember her, they’re calling for Elleven45 Lounge to close and better security at all clubs in Atlanta.
"I feel like they need to change something with how they’re checking people going into the clubs," Wheeler said.
Eason echoed that, stating that she believed more could've been done that night to protect people at the club.
"They took Mari’s mace off of her keychain before she went in, but somebody got in with a firearm. It doesn’t make sense," Eason said.
Following the shooting, the club said that its commitment to security and safety has only strengthened and that it is dedicated to maintaining a safe environment.
"We at Elleven 45 are profoundly affected by the recent tragic events. Our hearts go out to all those impacted, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the individuals and families who have suffered loss and injury. The safety and well-being of our patrons and staff have always been our paramount concern. To ensure a thorough investigation in cooperation with local law enforcement, we will be closing our doors today," the statement read.
Records dating back to 2020 show Atlanta Police worked off-duty security detail at the club several times. Officers only responded to three calls for violent crimes. Besides Sunday morning's shooting, APD responded to one other shooting in November of 2023 and a stabbing in 2021.
"There should’ve been security near where the fight happened. I don’t think they had adequate security in the club, either. It just don’t make sense. We shouldn’t be doing this. My sister is supposed to be here enjoying her summer break with her friends, but now we’re planning her funeral," Eason said.
Mari’s sisters said her funeral will be next Saturday, May 25, in Macon, Georgia, where they’re from. They’ll have a vigil for her at their home this Saturday, May 16.
11Alive reached out to the city to see if officials are looking into the activity at Elleven45 Lounge and investigating after the shooting and are awaiting a response.