A 35-year-old teacher and mother of four was fatally shot by her 21-year-old nephew, Devin Sullivan, on Christmas Day in Monroe, Georgia.
Tyeisha Colley, a dedicated educator at Salem High School, was visiting family before a planned Disney trip when the shooting occurred as she was leaving her parent’s home with her family.
Sullivan has been arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Family members are struggling to comprehend the tragedy, as no argument preceded the fatal act.
They suspect mental health issues may have contributed to the incident.
The grief-stricken family highlighted Colley’s selflessness, as she had adopted three children and recently welcomed a biological child into her family.
She was married to her childhood sweetheart, U.S. Army veteran Jermaul Colley, who was grazed by a bullet but was not seriously injured. Colley’s cousin, Tonya Odums, described her as a maternal figure to Sullivan, having helped raise him.
The family has turned to supporting both Colley’s surviving children and husband, as well as Sullivan’s mother.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to assist with funeral and family expenses, and it has already raised nearly $11,000 in contributions.
