BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Family and friends of a mother who was gunned down in an attempted murder-suicide at a Brookhaven hotel on Christmas Eve are now coming together to support her two boys.
Hazel Reese was the main provider for her two sons and was described by family and friends as a "breath of fresh air." She was killed just one day before her birthday, on Christmas.
The shooting took place at 1840 Corporate Blvd., which is a Microtel Hotel in Brookhaven. Just before 9:15 a.m., officers said they were dispatched to the hotel regarding a call about shots fired on the second floor.
When officers arrived at the hotel, they found a man with a gunshot wound to his head. Reese was lying face down in the elevator; police said she had died. The man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition, where he later died on Tuesday.
Reese's family is trying to make sense of her death while also caring for her two boys left behind.
"They don't realize that she's not coming back," said Joette Thomas, Reese's aunt. "And I really think that it's going to take them getting some counseling because they're so used to their mom. She did everything for them."
Thomas said that Reese was someone who was the "life of the party" and that she loved life. She also explained that Reese wanted everything for her two children and strived to succeed in her own life.
Reese wanted to see her two boys go to college so they could become successful themselves, her family said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in honor of Reese's boys. Those who feel inclined to donate to help her children can do so here.