Source: Facebook / facebook
Amber Carr, the sister of Atatiana Jefferson, the Texas woman who was fatally shot in 2019 by a white officer in her home, has lost her difficult battle with congestive heart failure. Carr was 33.
Lee Merritt, the family’s attorney, announced her death Jan. 31. In his emotional Instagram post, Merritt revealed that the mother of two “passed away peacefully” and was “surrounded by family and loved ones.”
“Police violence is a community killer. Thank you for everyone who has poured their support out on this family,” he captioned a photo of Carr smiling.
All the way up until her passing, Amber Carr sought justice for Jefferson’s 2019 shooting.
While battling her illness, Carr sought justice for her sister’s tragic death. According to NBC affiliate KXAS, Carr attended part of Jefferson’s December murder trial in a wheelchair before she was admitted to the hospital.
On Oct. 12, 2019, Carr’s son Zion, was the only person with Jefferson when she was shot and killed at her home in Fort Worth, Texas. Aaron Dean, a white officer, fatally shot the 28-year-old while investigating a safety check. During the murder trial, Dean testified that he entered the backyard and peered through the window to see a silhouette of a person holding a gun. He suspected that a robbery was in progress and opened fire, fatally wounding Jefferson.
According to WFAA, Carr’s health complications developed shortly after Jefferson’s death.
“The hardest part about all of this, for me and for the family, is dealing with the children who are growing up and experiencing trauma after trauma,” Merritt told WFAA in January.
On Dec. 15, Jefferson’s fight for justice finally came to an end when Dean was found guilty of manslaughter, after more than 13 hours of deliberation. He was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in prison.
The family has experienced several tragedies since Jefferson’s untimely death. Atatiana’s father, Marquis Jefferson, died two weeks after her funeral. And her mother, Yolanda Carr, who also had congestive heart failure, died a few weeks later in January 2020.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help Carr’s sons: Zion, 11, and Zayden, 7, transition to a new home in Dallas. Their aunt Ashley Carr has agreed to adopt them.
“Zion has expressed anxiety about where he is going to live and wanting the stability of a home,” the campaign website says.
Consider donating here.
RELATED CONTENT: #SayHerName: Is Still A Light For Unseen Black Women In It’s 8th Year
