For Sonia Tyler, it’s all too familiar. Barely two years after losing one brother to gun violence, Tyler’s other brother and her father died in a fire early Christmas morning.
“They are both my baby brothers,” Tyler told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.
Once again, she and her mother must say goodbye. Around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, DeKalb County firefighters were called to a home on Thompson Circle in the Decatur area. Tyler, her two children, her mother and some cousins were able to make it out of the burning home. But her father, Randy Tyler, and her brother, Jason Tyler, who was disabled, were not.
Investigators believe Randy Tyler was trying to help his son out of the home but was overcome by flames.
“He couldn’t make it to his room,” Sonia Tyler said.
Randy Tyler, 72, died at the scene and Jason Tyler, who turned 25 in October, later died at the hospital.
Sonia Tyler said she doesn’t know for sure but suspects the fireplace may have sparked the blaze. She lived in the home to help care for not only her children, but also her parents and brother.
Tyler said she and her brothers had been born in Saudia Arabia, where she spent her childhood years. Avid travelers, her parents made sure she and her older brother, Loik Tyler, saw many parts of the world. She was a teenager when her younger brother was born.
The family later moved to New York City. But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the family moved first to Macon and then the Atlanta area, Sonia Tyler said.
Jason Tyler suffered a spontaneous brain hemorrhage at 14 that left him partially paralyzed, his sister said.
Amy Wilson said her son, Spencer, had been friends with Jason since the two were in the Henderson Middle School band together. Spencer visited Jason after his medical emergency, reading to his friend.
Jason was eventually able to return to school but relied on a wheelchair. Wilson’s daughter, Skye, went with Jason to both his junior and senior proms at Lakeside High School.
“Jason worked so hard to overcome all of his hardships and was in college,” Wilson said. “This has caught everyone in our family off guard. Spencer is going to forever miss his friend.”
Tragedy has struck the family before. In August 2020, Loik Tyler, was shot to death in what investigators previously said was a botched robbery attempt. He was 37 and the father of three.
Earlier this year, Loik’s killer began a life sentence for his murder, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The deadly Christmas Day fire left the family not only in mourning but without a home or possessions, all destroyed. By Wednesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page created by a family friend had generated more than $54,000 in donations to help the family.
“Come together here to share your support and express your love for the Tyler family,” the fundraiser organizer wrote. “Your monetary support is needed immediately for the necessities of everyday life, the impending funeral expenses for Randy and Jason, and finding a new home where the family will live. Further, the family will face hospital expenses, the costs of starting up, furnishing, and equipping a new home, and certainly other expenses related to their recovery from this disastrous event.”
Sonia Tyler said she is grateful for the support of the community and strangers as she grieves her brother and father. Her family needs all the positive, healing vibes and prayers possible, she said.
Funeral arrangements were pending and Tyler isn’t sure yet where the family will live.
“This family needs a blessing,” Wilson said.
About the Author
