Latest news with #AngelMomsCollective
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Atlanta moms channel grief into support for others on Mother's Day
While Mother's Day is typically filled with joy and celebration, for many mothers across metro Atlanta, the day can also be a painful reminder of loss. Two local mothers who know that pain firsthand are working to offer support and solidarity to others walking the same difficult path. Tiffany Smith, founder of The Angel Moms Collective, and Ashley McKenzie Smith, founder of Say Their Name Monuments, have turned personal tragedy into purposeful community building. Tiffany Smith's 15-year-old son, Cameron Jackson, was killed during a mass shooting near Atlantic Station in November 2022. 'It was devastating,' she said. 'It's like your lights just go out. You leave your body. You go numb.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] After struggling to find a space for grieving mothers, Smith launched The Angel Moms Collective in 2023 to provide support and empowerment for women navigating unimaginable loss. 'What I realized going through that journey was there really wasn't a space to empower moms through the grief journey, and there were a lot of moms who were walking in silence,' she said. 'The connection with another mom who understands your journey, we also do online grief circles, so it's a space where you can share your story and know that it's OK.' One of the moms who found comfort in that space is Ashley McKenzie Smith, whose 20-year-old son, Jaylin McKenzie, was shot and killed by police in Memphis during a traffic stop in December 2022. 'I was really expecting him to be home for Christmas, and he didn't make it,' McKenzie Smith said. 'There's nothing like being supported or someone else understanding what you're dealing with as you're trying to figure out what happened or just as you deal with death.' McKenzie Smith went on to create Say Their Name Monuments, which focuses on justice advocacy and remembrance for families affected by police violence. 'Tiffany is more of the grief side, which is a great partnership,' she said. 'We do more education and remembering.' Together, the two mothers are not only honoring their sons' lives but helping others find strength in their own grief. 'The new meaning that Mother's Day has taken on for me is legacy,' Tiffany Smith said. 'Creating legacy—not only for Cameron, but for myself, my other children, and my community.' The next virtual grief support group hosted by The Angel Moms Collective is scheduled for May 22 at 7 pm. People can sign up on their website. The organizations are also planning a community event for Juneteenth. TRENDING STORIES: 1 dead after multi-vehicle crash on I-285 Ground stop lifted at Atlanta airport due to 'runway equipment' outage, ground delay in place Murder case of DeKalb man found shot to death in front seat of car remains unsolved [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Deputies relying on statement from sole survivor for answers after Walmart shooter dies
The suspected gunman in a shooting at a Newton County Walmart died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound over the weekend. Now, Newton County Sheriff's deputies will have to speak with the sole survivor and review surveillance video for answers in the case. 'He released like 5,6,7,8,9,10 shots and she fell on impact and in that moment, I knew that my daughter was gone,' said Samantha Clarke, the mother of one of the victims, 19-year-old Akeela Clarke. Clarke gave Channel 2's Audrey Washington exclusive in-home surveillance video of the moment she said suspected shooter Dwayne Eduh broke into her Emerson Trail home and shot her daughter. Akeela Clarke died in front of her mother. 'She was full of life. She did not deserve this,' Samantha Clarke said. TRENDING STORIES: Former Georgia Police Academy instructor charged with child molestation 1 dead, 4 in critical condition after crash at busy Atlanta intersection Attorneys reveal settlement amount between Marjorie Taylor Greene's ex-husband, 3 Muslim women Samantha Clarke said her daughter worked alongside Eduh but was not in a relationship with the man. She said she didn't know what led to the deadly shooting. Newton County Sheriff's Deputies said Ehduh first shot two of his other co-workers at the Walmart store on Salem Road early Friday morning. One co-worker, Khalaf Barksdale, died. Ryan Bradley survived. Deputies said Eduh took off after the shooting. They said he shot himself in the head when law enforcement eventually caught up with him in South Carolina. On Sunday, Eduh scummed to his self-inflicted gunshot wound. Deputies are now relying on statements from Bradley and surveillance video for clues in the case. Still, Samantha Clarke said nothing will bring back her daughter. 'You didn't have to kill her,' Clarke said of Eduh. 'We're like triage for moms who have been through that,' Tiffany Smith of the Angel Moms Collective told Washington. Smith is the mother of Cameron Jackson, one of two boys shot and killed on the 17th Street bridge in midtown Atlanta in 2022. She started the Angel Moms Collective to help mothers whose children had died from gun violence. Smith said she is now offering any support Samantha Clarke may need. 'There is a compassionate group of mothers who understand and who get it, and you do not have to walk this journey alone,' said Smith. Samantha Clarke said she is now working on funeral plans for Akeela. She has set up a GoFundMe account if you would like to help out.
