Nationwide — Tyeisha Colley, a 35-year-old teacher and mother of four, was tragically shot and killed by her nephew on Christmas Day in Monroe, Georgia. Her 21-year-old nephew, Devin Sullivan, was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault.
Colley, a beloved teacher at Salem High School, was visiting family in Monroe to celebrate Christmas before a planned Disney trip. As she was leaving her parent’s home with her husband and children, her nephew shot her.
“We lost a great daughter. We lost a great mother. We lost a great friend,” her father, Johnny Atkinson, told WSB-TV.
The family, heartbroken over her death, shared that Colley had adopted three children and recently had one of her own. She was married to her childhood sweetheart, U.S. Army veteran Jermaul Colley, who was grazed by a bullet but not seriously injured.
The family is struggling to understand the tragedy, especially as there was no argument before the shooting and Sullivan had a close relationship with Colley.
“She helped raise him. She was like second mom,” Tonya Odums, one of her cousins, said.
Sullivan, who reportedly had a gun the family didn’t know about, is currently in Walton County Jail. The family suspects mental health issues may have played a role in the incident.
Now, the family is focused on supporting Colley’s children and husband, as well as Sullivan’s mother. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with family expenses and has raised nearly $11,000 so far.
