DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. —
Residents who witnessed a man open fire on a Douglas County home, killing four people and then himself, said they are haunted by the events that unfolded Saturday afternoon in their quiet neighborhood on Willow Tree Circle.
Investigators have identified the shooter as Cedric Prather, 33. They said he went to his the home of his ex-wife, LaToya Andrews, 33, and opened fire.
Police said after he killed Andrews, he fatally shot several of his own children and Andrew’s current boyfriend. Prather then turned the gun on himself.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes talked to Andrews’ father Sunday, who gave her pictures of the family.
She also spoke with neighbors who said they are still trying to make sense of everything that happened Saturday.
“The girl said, ‘Daddy no,’ or,’Daddy don’t’ and then he shot her,” said neighbor Teresa Carter.
Neighbors say they saw the boyfriend, Joseph Brown, still moving after he was shot. They say he was trying to help Andrews.
“He kicked the gun away from the shooter’s hand because he was still kinda moving, kicked it away from him and then went to help her,” Carter told Fernandes.
Neighbors told Fernandes they don’t really know the shooter, but do know the children. Killed were London, 7, and her brother Jeremiah, 9. Their big sister Misha, 15, remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Another child, 8, was also shot.
“I could not imagine shooting your own children, just in plain … it has to be a mental illness,” neighbor Julie Futral said.
“These innocent little children, and innocent family trying to live a new family life and to get disturbed like this is very sad,” neighbor Andrews Ansah said.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes contributed to this story