The Clayton County police chief said Monday two siblings were killed in an act of gang retaliation. But neither of the children was the intended target.
Daveon and Tatiyana Coates were sleeping in separate rooms in their Libby Lane home when they were killed early Saturday. Four younger children were also in the home but were not harmed, and one was able to call 911. No adults were in the house at the time of the home invasion.
“There is nothing glamorous about being in a gang,” Chief Mike Register said. “What happened to that 11-year-old and that 15-year-old that morning — you can call yourself whatever you want, but the cold, hard facts are you are a punk and a coward and a murderer to go in and do what you did.”
In an interview with Channel 2 Action News, Register said investigators believe another 15-year-old who was not in the home was the intended target of a gang retaliation. Police were looking for that teenager, whose name was not released.
Daveon was in the 10th grade at Mundy's Mill High School, and Tatiyana was a sixth-grader at Pointe South Middle School. Neighbors on the street said the family had moved into the 1970s' ranch-style home about a month ago. A Go Fund Me fundraising page was created to assist the family with funeral costs.
About the Author
