Family of decorated US Air Force solider who was shot dead by cops while he was on FaceTime with a friend suffers another horrific tragedy

The family of a dressed up US Air Force solider changeable dormant by cops 3 months agone suffered different horrific calamity erstwhile different personnel was killed this week.

Chantemekki 'Meka' Fortson's 16-year-old son, Andre Fortson was changeable dormant Tuesday nighttime conscionable earlier 10pm successful an flat analyzable successful DeKalb County, Georgia, little than 90 days aft her oldest boy US Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was mistakenly changeable dormant by police.

DeKalb County Police said 2 groups were shooting astatine each other, according to a preliminary report. The motive is chartless and is still nether investigation, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

The shooter, Quintavious Zellner, 20, was arrested and charged pinch aggravated assault. He is being held successful nan DeKalb County Jail. The authorities said much arrests are expected. 

The child's heartbroken mother, shared that she and her 10-year-old girl Harmoni leaned connected Andre for support aft her US Airman son's death, and called her younger kid her 'comfort.' 

Through tears she uttered, 'What benignant of Mama americium I that I person to suffer 2 children wrong a 90-day period?' The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported. 

Meka told nan news outlet aft Roger died, Andre had stayed successful her furniture and held her until she fell asleep. 

'He was trying to beryllium beardown for me. He was trying to make judge I was OK,' she said.

The teen was entering his elder twelvemonth of precocious school, and was readying to enlist successful nan Air Force aft graduation, for illustration his precocious brother, his mother explained.

The Fortson family had precocious moved to Stonecrest, an area successful DeKalb, Georgia, astir 20-miles distant from, Summit Hill Apartments astatine 1500 artifact of Bouldercrest Road, wherever nan family antecedently lived. 

Recalling nan gut-wrenching events, Meka said that her son's friend called her hysterically telling her, 'You request to get here. Your babe sewage shot.'

When she arrived, her 16-year-old boy was lying connected a stairwell successful nan breezeway of nan flat building. EMS and constabulary were connected nan scene, but she was told her kid was gone.

The DeKalb County Police Department said Andre Fortson, was recovered pinch an evident gunshot wound. Medics had pronounced him deceased astatine nan scene, arsenic per Fox 5 News.

Meka and her girl are now nan only surviving members of their tight-knit family - tore isolated by rampant weapon unit successful nan city. 

She said, successful part, 'This is not normal. He was 16. There has to beryllium change.' 

Last month, nonprofit Every Town cited Georgia for having nan 9th highest complaint of weapon unit successful nan state - pinch gun-related murders successful Georgia astatine a startling 47 percent, WSAV News reported. 

In nan past decade, weapon deaths successful Georgia person accrued to 25 percent —  8 percent higher than nan nationalist average.

On May 3, Airman Roger Fortson was connected Facetime astatine his flat in Fort Walton Beach, Florida erstwhile he was changeable six times by Deputy Eddie Duran of nan Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Police were called to nan flat analyzable aft a neighbour reported proceeding personification being slapped. When officers arrived she told nan officers which flat nan disturbance was happening in. 

The female responded '1401.' The rule enforcement serviceman confirmed pinch nan female that he was going to nan 4th level earlier riding nan elevator up to Fortson's off-base residence astatine an flat analyzable connected 319 Racetrack Road successful Okaloosa County.

Upon arriving astatine nan the doorway of nan apartment, nan serviceman knocked erstwhile - and past again, saying 'Sheriff's office. Open nan door' twice. As nan doorway opened, nan sheriff ordered 'step back' and 'do not move.'

The serviceman past fired six accelerated shots that sent nan young worker stumbling to nan ground.

A witness, who was connected FaceTime pinch Fortson during nan clip of nan shooting, claimed Fortson heard a sound astatine nan doorway and asked who was there.

According to nan witness, erstwhile he did not person a consequence but heard different 'very fierce knock,' Fortson peered done nan peephole - but did not spot anyone and grew concerned.

Out of concern, Fortson retrieved a weapon - which he owned legally, according to nan witness.

When he returned to his surviving room pinch nan gun, authorities allegedly pushed done his doorway and changeable him six times.

The traumatized witness, who remained connected nan FaceTime telephone for nan long of nan horrifying shooting, recalled that Fortson said 'I can't breathe,' aft nan shots were fired. Fortson later died astatine nan hospital.

The lawman progressive successful nan incident has since been placed connected administrative time off while nan investigation into nan shooting continues. 

The young worker was based astatine nan Special Operations Wing astatine Hurlburt Field, Florida. He entered progressive work connected Nov. 19, 2019

He was assigned to nan 4th Special Operations Squadron arsenic a typical missions aviator, wherever 1 of his roles arsenic a personnel of nan squadron's AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load nan gunship's 30mm and 105mm cannons during mission.

After nan horrific tragedy, nan Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing said its priorities are 'providing casualty affairs work to nan family, supporting nan squadron during this tragic time, and ensuring resources are disposable for each who are impacted.'

Meka  said that it had ever been a dream of her boy to work his state and that he had wanted to go a pilot.

'It's a disbelief. Every day, I effort to spell to slumber early to aftermath up for illustration it's a dream,' she told Military.com.

'He conscionable came backmost from deployment from fighting for us. With everything we sewage going connected successful our country, he's fighting for america and he came backmost to beryllium murdered, slain for illustration that truthful violently.'

'He was my gift, and they took my gift away,' Roger's mother said. 'And they didn't springiness it to me. God gave maine that gift... and they took my gift away.'