ATLANTA — The community is still reeling over the loss of three people following a shooting Saturday afternoon. One of the victim's families went out to where their loved one lost his life to cry and remember the smile he left on their faces.
Atlanta Police are putting together the pieces of why three people lost their lives to gun violence along Evans Street near The Mall West End. That question of why is also weighing heavy on the hearts of Jakobi Maddox's family.
A somber gathering in a West End Atlanta parking lot is the last place Annie Ashmeade thought her family would spend their Saturday.
“I couldn't believe it," Ashmeade said. "I just was, like, shaking, trembling.”
Ashmeade received the tragic news about her grandson early Saturday afternoon.
“Some friends of his came and knocked on the door and wanted to ask for his grandfather. I said, ‘No, he's not here,’ and they said, ‘Well, give him a call because they think Slim is dead,’” Ashmeade said.
Maddox went by the nickname "Slim" since he was tall and thin, standing at 6 '3" tall. Ashmeade said his heart was as big as his stature.
“It's very seldom that your grandkids tell you they love you every time, every day, and all day," Ashmeade said. "If you saw him five times a day, he’s going to say, ‘I love you,’ five times a day, so I’m going to miss that.”
The family adopted Maddox and his brother from the foster care system when they were four and six years old.
“He (Maddox) has a son. He’ll be two in January, and he was a real nice guy, family oriented," Ashmeade said.
Maddox's grandfather, John Bell, has a message for other young people as the family comes to terms with their unimaginable loss.
“I just want to ask everybody to put the guns up. Stop the violence. Stop the violence. Please, please stop the violence," Bell said.
“Just remember him and keep him, keep his family in prayers, especially his son," Ashmeade said. His son's going to grow up without him. It’s another child who is growing up without their father, and it's just so sad.
Maddox's family said he had bright plans for his future, which included going to school to work in IT.
The names of the other two people killed have yet to be released. Atlanta Police said they were 17 and 38 years old.
