Memorial service set for children, mother killed in Vinings apparent murder-suicide
A service is set for next week for the three members of a prominent Atlanta family killed in an apparent double murder-suicide. Marsha Edwards, 58, and her two children, 24-year-old Christopher Edwards II and 20-year-old Erin Edwards, will be remembered during a memorial Wednesday in southwest Atlanta, according to a spokesman for the family. The service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at Cascade United Methodist Church, which is at 3144 Cascade Road. Investigators believe Marsha, the former wife of surgeon and civic leader Christoper Edwards, shot and killed the couple’s children before turning the gun on herself. Their bodies were found by police Wednesday inside her upscale Vinings townhouse after officers were asked to perform a wellness check. RELATED: Ex-wife of Atlanta Housing chairman killed 2 children, herself, police say Lots of questions remained unanswered Friday. Among them: • Who requested the wellness check? • When did the shootings take place? • What kind of gun was used? • Who is the registered owner of the gun? • What evidence prompted authorities to classify the investigation as a double murder-suicide? It could be weeks before autopsy and toxicology results shed light on those and other questions. “Dr. Edwards, his extended family and friends are in a state of grief and shock, and privacy of the family is paramount as arrangements are being made,” spokesman Jeff Dickerson said Thursday in an emailed statement. A longtime fixture in the Atlanta medical community, Edwards serves on the board of trustees of the Morehouse School of Medicine and was formerly on the board of Grady Memorial Hospital. He is the chairman of the Atlanta Housing Authority board. As news of the deaths spread, condolences poured in from those who knew the family and strangers touched by the tragedy. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and her husband were among the mourners. Erin Edwards, a Boston University student, was an intern in the mayor’s communications office last summer. Christopher Edwards II joined the Atlanta film and entertainment office in 2018 as a digital content manager. Both were Woodward Academy graduates. They were “promising young adults and budding NABJ media professionals,” said Sarah Glover, the former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. Glover said on Twitter she met the siblings at a conference in 2017. Their mother, a medical equipment provider, was also a member of the organization, which advocates for and supports black journalists. AJC.com has reached out to Cobb police for additional information about the deaths. — Please return to AJC.com for updates.
One of 4 victims in shooting near Clark Atlanta University speaks out
Kia Thomas, a Clark Atlanta University student, says she doesn't want a 'hateful act' that happened to her to tarnish her college experience. Thomas, a junior, was one of four people injured in a shooting during a block party Tuesday night at the intersection of James P. Brawley Drive Southwest and Beckwith Street Southwest. She spoke at an emotional news conference Friday just days after she was released from the hospital. 'We're all very fortunate and blessed to still be here,' Thomas said. We're hearing the teen's story of survival, on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. Police identified the other victims as Erin Ennis, 18, Maia Williams-McLaren, 18, and Elyse Spencer, 18. Investigators released video of the man they believe shot the four teens, and are asking for the public's help to identify him. Police do not believe he is a student. TRENDING STORIES: Ex-wife of prominent Atlanta surgeon killed adult children, herself, police say What we know about family found dead inside Vinings townhouse Former NFL player Barry Bennett, wife found dead in Minnesota home, police say
Several students sickened after eating candy at middle school
Several middle school students in Butts County got sick after eating candy at school Friday, officials said. The incident happened at Henderson Middle School. Officials initially said they believe the candy was tainted with THC, but have since said that it did not show any evidence of THC or narcotics. The Butt's County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Friday that the candy was picked up at a food bank and could possibly be contaminated. The sheriff said 'There was no wrongdoing on any child involved.' #Breaking These are photos of the candy taken from Henderson MS in Butts County. Investigators now say it wasn't laced with any drugs. It appears to have been contaminated when it was picked up from a local food bank. More at 4. pic.twitter.com/U6sFz4hCnZ — Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB) August 23, 2019 Several students went to the school nurse saying they felt sick after eating the candy. One student was taken to the hospital 'out of an abundance of caution.' Channel 2's Richard Elliot is at the middle school, where officials said EMTs were at the scene to monitor the students. We're talking to parents and students about the scary incident, for Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. Officials said all of the other students are stable and didn't need to be taken to a hospital. Parents who reached out to Channel 2 Action News said they were informed about the incident through a robocall. The Butts County Sheriff's Department released a statement earlier Friday on its Facebook page. 'The administration of Henderson Middle School was alerted to a situation where several students ingested an unknown substance that caused them to become ill. The parents of all students who were affected have been contacted. The safety and security of our students is of the utmost importance. We are working diligently alongside our public safety partners to collect the substance and provide treatment to students who were affected.' The Sheriff's Office also released photos of the candy, which they said looks 'like a Fruity Pebble with a hard texture.' Officials urged parents to contact 911 if they find the candy in their child's possession.
