Lareon 'Lay Lay' Brown: A Mother of 3's Life Cut Short in Georgia Shooting
Lareon "Lay Lay" Brown was the heartbeat of her family—a 26-year-old mother of three who organized joyful reunions, fired up barbecues, and stepped in as the unwavering "rock" when life tested those she loved most.
Known for her kindness and infectious spirit, Brown had spent the day before her death celebrating one of her children's birthdays, a moment filled with the laughter and love she so effortlessly brought to those around her. But in the early hours of a Sunday morning, that vibrant life was tragically silenced by gunfire on a quiet stretch of Sixth Street in Carrollton.
Georgia Mother of 3 Killed During Altercation
Brown's mother, Qualeshas Lowery, still grapples with the unimaginable loss. "I was preparing them to make arrangements like this for me, not me making arrangements," Lowery shared, her voice heavy with grief and disbelief.
What hurts most, she said, is knowing her daughter was nowhere near the "drama" that erupted into violence. "She was just amazing," echoed Brown's cousin, Kathy Cheeks, who survived the shooting but carries the scars of bullets that pierced her body that night.
Cheeks described Brown as the one who made family gatherings magical, always putting others first. "Some days I wake up crying because I’m hurt, and then some days I wake up crying because I’m angry," Lowery added. "They didn’t have to do my baby like that."The nightmare unfolded around 1:30 a.m. on November 2, when what police described as a fight among several people escalated into a hail of bullets.
Brown, who family insists was simply in the area and uninvolved in the dispute, was fatally shot at the scene. Cheeks, struck multiple times, was one of two other victims rushed to Atlanta-area hospitals for treatment; the second survivor's condition remains undisclosed.
"They shot me. That’s the thing I don’t understand," Cheeks told news media. "What was going on was basically nonsense. Stuff that could’ve been avoided. People was toting guns."
As Brown's family prepares for her funeral this weekend, their sorrow is channeling into a fierce demand for accountability. Lowery vows that once her daughter is laid to rest, she will turn her energy toward ensuring justice is served. "After I put my baby to rest, that’s what I’m going to work on," she said.
Carrollton police have made swift arrests in connection with the shooting, charging four men with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The suspects include 23-year-old Cyntez Worthy of Villa Rica, 26-year-old Zontavius Vaughn of Carrollton, 31-year-old Jamine Hutchinson of Villa Rica, and 34-year-old Geriquez Shadrion Lower (also referred to as Jericho Lowry) of Carrollton.
Investigators believe the gunfire stemmed from an argument but have not disclosed further details on what ignited the conflict, how the suspects knew the victims, or who fired first. No information has been released about recovered weapons or potential surveillance footage.
Brown's death leaves a profound void in her tight-knit family and the Carrollton community, where she was remembered not for the violence that claimed her, but for the light she brought to every room.
As Lowery honors her daughter's memory, she clings to the lessons of resilience Brown embodied. In a world quick to forget the human cost of such tragedies, Lareon Brown's story stands as a poignant reminder of lives interrupted and the enduring love that survives them.
"The incident is currently under investigation and nothing further will be released at this time," a police said in a statement obtained by TV station 11Alive.
The Carrollton Police Department continues its investigation and encourages anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the department at (770) 830-2131.
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