Grieving dad seeks justice for son after deadly double shooting near Clayton State University
Teen shot after spending weeks in coma
It’s been 10 days since Clayton County investigators say an argument near Clayton State University led to gunfire. Caden Moss-Dowdy, 18, was one of the young men killed during the incident.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - It’s been 10 days since Clayton County investigators say an argument near Clayton State University led to gunfire. Two young men— 20-year-old Jerome Franklin and 18-year-old Caden Moss-Dowdy— were shot to death.
Merrill Dowdy, Caden’s father, tells FOX 5 his son’s death still doesn’t feel real. He said losing his son to a bullet on the night of Jan. 15 was like losing his best friend.
"I’m feeling lost, to be honest with you," he said. "Caden affected a lot of people you know."
Double murder near Clayton State University
What we know:
Clayton County investigators say 18-year-old Caden was shot and killed alongside 20-year-old Jerome Franklin when an argument involving two other people ended in shots being fired on Trammel Road.
Double murder near Clayton State University
Clayton County Police have now asked for the public's help in finding the person responsible for a double murder near the east entrance of Clayton State University. A police major says the deadly shooting happened last night on Trammell Road as four young men were walking.
Police say surveillance video captured the group of four young men right before the shooter opened fire around 9 p.m.
"We do believe there was more than one weapon involved," Clayton County Police Major Anthony Thurman said.
Who is Caden Moss-Dowdy?
Dig deeper:
Dowdy says his son Caden had a passion for fitness and dreams of becoming a professional boxer.
"He motivated me. I lost 40 pounds exercising with him," he said. "He was a good kid, at the end of the day. He was a real good kid."
He says his son was just getting his life back on track after spending three weeks in a coma and seven months in rehabilitation due to injuries he suffered when he was hit by a car last March.
"He could barely talk, barely walk," his father recalled. "I got him back in school, he was getting his GED, helped him get a job. They loved him at the job."
Those dreams are no longer a reality for the son he says was taken too soon.
Caden Moss-Dowdy (Photo submitted by family)
"My son, he was 18 years old. There was so many other things that he could’ve did."
Concerns over youth gun violence
Why you should care:
Now forced to deal with the financial struggles of burying his son, Dowdy's message to the youth is to think about the gravity of taking someone’s life.
"When you pull that trigger, it’s nothing else to think about you either running for your life or gunning for your life from there on," his father said.
Police still searching for suspected shooter
What we don't know:
Police have not identified the suspected shooter or the fourth person in the group.
It’s also still unclear what prompted the argument.
What you can do:
If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call the Clayton County Police Department.
"No matter how big or how small you think the information is, we encourage you to share it with us. You can share it by contacting us call us you can tip. Everybody has a cell phone. If it’s video, you have a cell phone, please share it with us. There is no information that's not gonna be important to this investigation," Clayton County Police Major Anthony Thurman said.
The family has also started an online fundraiser to cover his funeral costs.
The Source: Clayton County police provided details for this article. Caden’s father, Merrill Dowdy, also provided insight into his son’s life. This story is developing.