Family wants answers after father shot, killed outside DeKalb County convenience store

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A DeKalb County family wants answers after a father was shot and killed outside of a convenience store.

On the evening of Aug. 30, surveillance video shows 26-year-old Jaden Williams standing behind a car outside of the Linecrest Food Mart in Ellenwood with a group of friends, when another car drives by and multiple shots can be heard.

One of the bullets struck Williams.

In the video, the car is seen driving off, and the group Williams is with also takes off, leaving Williams’ body.

“My heart dropped because I saw my child hit the ground and I saw everybody around him run away. That hurt real bad,” Stephanie Williams, his mother, said.

Now this family wants to know who did this and why.

Jaden Williams was a father to a young child, he was a loving partner to his fiancée and he was a son.

“Big smile, big heart, loved people, loved to keep people together, loved to bring people together,” his mother said. “That was just the heart that he had.”

Stephanie Williams said after the tragedy, when she was at the hospital, she discovered her son was an organ donor. She said this gave her some comfort during a difficult time, though she still wants anyone who knows anything to tell police.

“My son did not deserve to die the way that he did. The heart that my son had and the manner in which he died, it doesn’t match,” she said. “It’s not fair to his family, especially my granddaughter.”

DeKalb County police confirmed they are investigating. Anyone with information can send an anonymous tip to DeKalb County police through the free Tip411 app or by texting “DKPD” to 847411, followed by the tip.

Williams’ family started an online fundraiser for his daughter.