They had a connection, and they realized it right after they met.
Shayla Benson had joined the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office as a jailer. And Brandon Cunningham, already working as a jailer, was her first trainer.
“We just kept talking,” Benson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was just insane how much we had in common.”
When he was no longer her trainer, the two began dating nearly three years ago. Both later became deputies, and Cunningham had proposed earlier this year. The two planned to save for a house and start a family. They were happiest just being together, watching television or putting together Lego sets, Benson said. Their bond was strong.
Everything changed the moment she heard that her soulmate and best friend had been shot. Benson was on duty and was responding to a car crash but quickly diverted and headed to the scene of the shooting.
“Immediately everyone knew something was wrong,” she said. “I turned on my lights and I started going.”
She arrived as bullets were still flying.
Cunningham and another deputy were responding to a domestic violence call at a Hiram-area house.
Within seconds of getting out of his patrol car, Cunningham was shot, according to investigators. James Samuel Atkins, 42, continued firing shots from a high-powered rifle equipped with a scope, making it nearly impossible for deputies to help Cunningham.
Benson tried desperately to reach him as gunshots were still being fired.
“I couldn’t get to him,” she said.
At Wellstar Paulding Medical Center, Benson begged to see Cunningham. She was told he didn’t survive.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Meanwhile, hundreds of officers and multiple SWAT teams from various law enforcement agencies had arrived in Paulding, focused on to stopping Atkins from any further violence. Investigators said he also shot his wife, who survived. Then, he turned the gun on himself. Late Saturday, he was found dead inside his home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Cunningham, a father of two, was the first Paulding County deputy killed in the line of duty since the sheriff’s office was founded in 1834. The 30-year-old’s death shocked the community he served and made national headlines.
For Benson, she lost her best friend and love of her life. When she told Cunningham how scary their jobs could be, he would tell her to be cautious. He made her braver, Benson said.
“I’m heartbroken that there aren’t more people who will get to know him,” Benson said. “He was a precious human being. He made me a better person. He fixed a huge, damaged piece of me that was on the inside.”
Now, it’s hard for Benson to imagine her life without him.
“He loved those two babies to the moon and back,” she said. “He always told me his only priorities in life were me and those babies.”
The two planned to celebrate Cunningham’s birthday next week with a beach trip. Instead, Benson will join hundreds expected to attend Cunningham’s funeral Friday at West Ridge Church in Dallas.
He not only wore the uniform, but Cunningham lived to serve others, Benson said. He treated others with respect, even those he put behind bars.
“That’s what I really loved about him,” Benson said. “He was a good person. It wasn’t just because of the uniform or the job he did.”
Now, Benson must face returning to the job she loves while grieving her fiance. She wants to continue serving, though she will be missing Cunningham who always tried to protect her.
“I’m going to be here for him,” Benson said. “I’m going to make sure he’s not forgotten.”
About the Author
