STONE MOUNTAIN, GA (CBS46) -The young grieving mother of a nine-month-old baby shot and killed told the story for the first time Wednesday of what happened that terrifying night three weeks ago.
As she fought back tears, Tanyika Smith explained how gunmen broke into her Stone Mountain home on May 10 and shot her, her mother and her sister as they huddled in a bathroom. The gunmen also shot nine-month-old Kendarius Edwards several times at close range, killing him.
"They kicked the bathroom door and they started shooting, shooting, shooting," Smith said. "I held my baby, and he was just so lifeless. They took him from me. They shot him in the chest, arm and stomach. My baby don't deserve that."
Smith's arm was in a cast and her right eye was bandaged as she continues healing from her gunshot wounds. Her mother and sister were also bandaged.
The deadly violence started earlier this month when police said 18-year-old Kemontae Cullins, 16-year old Curtez Johnson and 19-year old Oslushia Smith shot and killed 29-year old Michael Phillips at a party. They later shot and killed 19-year old Alexis Malone, who witnessed the killing.
Oslushia Smith and Johnson are the baby's uncles. Police say the home invasion was retaliation from people connected to Phillips and Malone.
Cullins, Johnson and Oslushia Smith are all in jail, charged with murder. But police are looking for those they say violently retaliated against them.
"I just think it's senseless," the baby's paternal grandmother, Erica Stephens, said. Stephens pleaded with the killers by speaking to the media. "Even though you didn't have the heart by shooting him down, he was a baby that didn't have nothin' to do with nothin'."
"That's a coward," said Tanyika Smith, wiping tears from her bandaged face. "You don't kill a baby. And I hope it's on your conscience, too."
Several Dekalb County churches have raised $5,500 to boost the Crime Stoppers reward, hoping an anonymous tipster steps up and tells police who killed the baby. Police urge anyone who knows anything to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.
Copyright 2014 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
As she fought back tears, Tanyika Smith explained how gunmen broke into her Stone Mountain home on May 10 and shot her, her mother and her sister as they huddled in a bathroom. The gunmen also shot nine-month-old Kendarius Edwards several times at close range, killing him.
"They kicked the bathroom door and they started shooting, shooting, shooting," Smith said. "I held my baby, and he was just so lifeless. They took him from me. They shot him in the chest, arm and stomach. My baby don't deserve that."
Smith's arm was in a cast and her right eye was bandaged as she continues healing from her gunshot wounds. Her mother and sister were also bandaged.
The deadly violence started earlier this month when police said 18-year-old Kemontae Cullins, 16-year old Curtez Johnson and 19-year old Oslushia Smith shot and killed 29-year old Michael Phillips at a party. They later shot and killed 19-year old Alexis Malone, who witnessed the killing.
Oslushia Smith and Johnson are the baby's uncles. Police say the home invasion was retaliation from people connected to Phillips and Malone.
Cullins, Johnson and Oslushia Smith are all in jail, charged with murder. But police are looking for those they say violently retaliated against them.
"I just think it's senseless," the baby's paternal grandmother, Erica Stephens, said. Stephens pleaded with the killers by speaking to the media. "Even though you didn't have the heart by shooting him down, he was a baby that didn't have nothin' to do with nothin'."
"That's a coward," said Tanyika Smith, wiping tears from her bandaged face. "You don't kill a baby. And I hope it's on your conscience, too."
Several Dekalb County churches have raised $5,500 to boost the Crime Stoppers reward, hoping an anonymous tipster steps up and tells police who killed the baby. Police urge anyone who knows anything to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.
Copyright 2014 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
