Community raises funds for Shed family to offset funeral, medical expenses

ALBANY — Community members in East Albany gathered together on Saturday to raise money and support for the family members of at least two of the four children hit by a car at the intersection of Leonard Avenue and North Mock Road on their way to school Friday morning.

Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the Albany Police Department, said Friday that Antonio Shed Jr., 9, died from his injuries, while Jahkara Arnold, 10, was seriously injured and flown to an Atlanta hospital, which Dougherty County School System officials earlier had identified as Egleston Children’s Hospital.

Also injured were Te’unna Shed, 6, who was transferred to a Macon hospital, and Jahlana Arnold, 7, who was treated at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

Friends and family were at the site, as well as at the intersection of Mock Road and East Oglethorpe Boulevard, most of the day Saturday collecting funds for the Shed family. The supporters’ homemade signs and balloons attracted passing cars whose drivers opened up their wallets to help Antonio and Te’unna’s mother pay for the expenses stemming from the tragedy.

Carolyn Phillips, their aunt, was among those on the scene helping to raise money. On behalf of the family, she expressed appreciation for the support they have gotten since Friday morning and said that by around 2 p.m. Saturday, over $1,000 had been raised.

“It means a lot to the entire family,” Phillips said. “We are seeing everyone paying their respects.

“For the man who hit them, we are praying for him and his family too.”

Over by Oglethorpe Boulevard, Giovonti Martin was among those helping to grill food for anyone willing to put cash in one of the several buckets people were carrying. Martin had a connection to the family, having been a bus driver to the Shed children when they were at the day care his mother worked at.

He said the tragedy significantly impacted the community, and noted that most people do not expect situations like this to happen to people they know.

“When I first saw it, I cried,” he said. “I work with kids everyday, and I feel this is the best thing to do.”

Banks said preliminary reports on the incident, which occurred at 7:02 a.m., indicated the children were walking toward Turner Elementary School when they walked into the path of a 2016 Chrysler 200 driven by Montavious Johnson, 26, of Albany.

Johnson, who was traveling north in the 200 block of Mock Road stated that, “he did not see the pedestrians.” The incident remained under investigation Saturday. Charges have not been filed. As of press time there were no official updates on the conditions of the Arnold children or Te’unna Shed.