Family of child killed during Atlanta protests sues city, Wendy’s

The family of an 8-year-old girl who was shot dead in Atlanta last year announced Monday that they are suing the city, its leaders and the fast-food chain Wendy’s, where the shooting took place.

Secoriea Turner was killed on July 4 while sitting in a car with her mother who was attempting to turn around in a parking lot with an illegal barricade near a Wendy’s.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Secoriea’s family filed a complaint Monday accusing city leaders of numerous failings, alleging they were “negligent in their duties by failing to remove armed vigilantes who had gathered alongside peaceful protesters at the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed.”

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, police Chief Rodney Bryant and Wendy’s International were all named in the complaint, the Journal-Constitution reports.

At the time of Secoriea’s death, Bottoms condemned the violence that had overtaken Atlanta, accusing the perpetrators of the chaos of killing “a baby.”

“We are shooting each other up on our streets in this city. And you shot and killed a baby,” she said. “And there wasn’t one shooter, there were at least two shooters. An 8-year-old baby. We are doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force.”

“You can’t blame this on a police officer. You can’t say this is about criminal justice reform. This is about some people carrying some weapons who shot up a car with an 8-year-old baby in the car. For what?” Bottoms added.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said in a statement to the Journal-Constitution, “The murder of Secoriea Turner, as a result of senseless gun violence, is a tragedy that no family should have to endure. Due to the anticipated litigation, the City will offer no further comment at this time.”