An 8-year-old girl was fatally shot in Atlanta the night of July 4 after encountering a group of armed protesters who were camped out near the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police.
Secoriea Turner was riding with her mother and adult friend around 10 p.m. when they turned into a parking lot at the intersection of University Avenue and Pryor Road, according to a report from CBS 46. The car met a group of armed individuals who fired multiple shots at the vehicle, striking Turner. The little girl was immediately driven to the Atlanta Medical Center following the incident, where she died.
Now, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the city will no longer turn a blind eye to the group of protesters, who had illegally cordoned off and occupied the area including the now-burned-out Wendy's where Brooks was shot.
“We’re not having any more discussions, it’s over,” said Bottoms during a presser. “If you are looking to be part of a solution and not a problem, you’re [going] to have to clear out of that area.”
“At the point that an 8-year-old baby is killed, the discussions have ended,” Bottoms added.
Mayor Bottoms on last night's shooting of an 8 year-old girl: "It has to stop. You can't blame this on police officers. It's about people who shot a baby in a car. We're doing each other more harm than any officer on this force."
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) July 5, 2020
WATCH LIVE: APD holds presser on fatal shooting of 8-year-old near burned-out Wendy's https://t.co/w9qYqeu5oD
— CBS46 (@cbs46) July 5, 2020
Brook’s death has only escalated protests in the city, which had originally erupted following George Floyd’s death on May 25. But Bottoms also said that this incident can’t be blamed on the police force.
“It has to stop, you can’t blame this on police officers. It’s about people who shot a baby in a car. We’re doing each other more harm than any officer on this force," she said.
There is currently a $10,000 reward being offered for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the little girl's death.