Athens, Georgia – Auriel C., 24-year-old pregnant mother from Georgia, was on her way home to her apartment complex in Athens with her son when a fight between two groups of people erupted and shots were fired.
A woman has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a pregnant Georgia mom killed while trying to whisk her 3-year-old son away from a gunfight.
As bullets began flying, Auriel grabbed her son and ran toward her apartment to keep him out of harm’s way when she was shot, Spruill said. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Her unborn child did not survive.
“I cannot think of a more tragic circumstance for an innocent young mother to be gunned down in front of her residence while her young child looked on,” police spokesperson said, adding that Auriel was an “innocent bystander.”
J. Cooper was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of felony murder.
Police believe other people were firing guns during the fight but they identified Cooper, who also lives in the complex, as the one who allegedly shot Auriel, police said.
“There was more than one shooter. Our intention is to identify every individual that played a part in this … and have them charged and prosecuted to the fullest.”
Officials are investigating why the people were fighting. They do not believe it was gang-related, authorities said.
Cooper has not yet entered a plea. It is unclear whether she has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf. She only said ‘I’m sorry for the mother’.
Gantt and Spruill ask anyone with videotaped footage of the incident or with information to come forward.
