CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta mother whose 16-year-old son with autism was shot to death in a Clayton County park is now trying to raise money for his funeral.
Jamarious Deante Smith was shot to death in LoveJoy Park on June 29. His mother, Navratilova Allen, said her son was asleep in bed when a group of boys he considered “friends” came to his home and invited him to another friend’s home.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
At some point, Smith was shot to death and left in the park.
Smith told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that at 12:30 a.m. the next morning, police knocked at her door.
“They asked me if I had a picture. I showed them a picture and that’s when they told me they’re sorry, they found my son in LoveJoy Park dead. He was shot five times,” Allen said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- At least 1 dead after crash involving multiple cars shuts down DeKalb intersection
- Mission completed: Tom Cruise surprises fans at Atlanta showing of new ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie
- Body found in car in Kroger parking lot believed to be Cobb man who vanished 10 days ago
Allen said her son was diagnosed with autism at age four but got better with time and therapy.
“So of course, he thought the guys were his friends as they went to school with him,” Allen said. “They have slept in my home. They have eaten in my home.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Police said one person has been arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. That person has not been identified. Police said more people could be arrested.
Allen said that Jamarious was one of her seven children and that she lost her job two days before he was killed. She said the family has not been able to go back to their home because of the trauma of being there.
Allen told us she had no idea why anyone would kill her son and had a message for the people she believes are involved with the murder.
“Y’all woke my son up and lured him to the park with y’all and y’all murdered my son,” said Allen.
Allen is now working to raise $7,000 to bury her son and move out of Clayton County.
You can donate to the GoFundMe HERE.
©2022 Cox Media Group
