Politics
Turner family urges Georgia governor candidate Rick Jackson to pull campaign ad
The family of Secoriea Turner, an 8-year-old killed in Atlanta in 2020, says a Rick Jackson campaign ad using her image and part of her mother’s 911 call reopens their trauma. Their attorneys called on the Republican nominee to remove it, saying Turner’s death should not be used for political gain.
The family of Secoriea Turner is demanding that Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson remove a campaign ad that uses the 8-year-old’s image and part of her mother’s 911 call, saying the footage forces them to relive her killing.
At a news conference Thursday, the family’s attorneys called Jackson’s campaign response “despicable” and urged him to honor their request. Attorney Shean Williams said the family had no legal way to compel the campaign to take down the ad, but could appeal to the public. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis also criticized the campaign’s handling of the family’s request.
Turner was shot and killed on July 4, 2020, when the SUV her mother was driving was struck by eight bullets near the University Avenue Wendy’s in Atlanta. The area had become a flashpoint during protests following the police killing of Rayshard Brooks at the restaurant.
Turner’s mother, Charmaine Turner, said her daughter was a child, not a political slogan. The family says the campaign’s use of the tragedy is deeply painful and exploits their loss.
Jackson, a billionaire health care executive, is running against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was Atlanta’s mayor when Turner was killed. The election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
The campaign ad features the 911 call only in part. The family’s demand comes as Georgia voters prepare to choose a governor in a race where the candidates are invoking Atlanta’s recent history and public safety debates.