Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Dekalb County, GA: Boyfriend charged in death of DeKalb mother

A suspect has been arrested in the Monday night shooting of a young mother found dead in the driveway of a DeKalb County home.

Carlos Jerome Simpson, 23, who lived at the Eagles Nest Circle home where the shooting occurred, was booked into the DeKalb jail early Tuesday, charged with felony murder, according to jail records.

Simpson’s sister, Lawana Simpson, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the victim, identified by police as 20-year-old Shikhira Dunson, was her brother’s girlfriend and the mother of his 10-month-old child.

Dunson was shot during an argument, according to DeKalb police Assistant Chief J.W. Conroy.

“Last night, I was bathing my kids and my son came in and said they were arguing,” Lawana Simpson said.

She said her brother went outside, and Dunson “came outside and was messing with him.”

“I didn’t know that my brother had the gun,” Lawana Simpson said. “He didn’t know it was going to go off.”

Lawana Simpson said her brother was pointing the gun at Dunson, and his girlfriend grabbed the gun and it fired. “She grabbed it and it happened quick,” she said.

Carlos Simpson drove away after the shooting, but was later arrested, Conroy said.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Charles Simpson, the suspect’s father.

“We loved her like she was our own,” he said of Dunson.

“This wasn’t no hate thing,” he said. “It just happened, and now she’s gone from us.”

The fatal shooting happened on the eve of the funeral for another of Charles Simpson’s children.

He said his oldest son, Charles Simpson Jr., was killed in prison earlier this month.

Charles Simpson Jr. was serving a sentence for aggravated assault when he died Feb. 10 during a scuffle at Smith State Prison near Glennville. His death is being investigated by the GBI.

Charles Simpson Jr.’s funeral is set for Tuesday afternoon at Emmanuel Spiritual Holy Temple in southeast Atlanta.

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