A tragic chain of events unfolded in Covington, Georgia, culminating in the death of one-year-old Jaquari Bennett on June 11, 2022. The young Black female's life was cut short by her father in a devastating murder-suicide that also claimed the life of her mother.
The incident began late on a Saturday night when Darian Javaris Bennett, 38, went to the home of his daughter's mother, 38-year-old Keashawn Washington. There, he shot and killed Washington and critically wounded the child's grandmother, Peggy Burns, 63. In the midst of the chaos, Bennett took his daughter, Jaquari, and fled the scene, prompting authorities to issue an Amber Alert for the missing child who was believed to be in 'extreme danger'. Two other children, Jaquari's half-siblings, were also present in the home at the time of the shooting but were unharmed.
The search for Jaquari came to a heartbreaking end the following morning. Bennett contacted 911, threatening to harm himself. Authorities tracked his phone's GPS coordinates to the area behind a church in Riverdale. As officers arrived, they heard gunshots. Shortly after, they discovered the bodies of both Darian Bennett and his young daughter in a secluded, wooded area behind the church. It was determined that Bennett had shot and killed his daughter before taking his own life.
The investigation revealed a history of domestic turmoil. Family members stated that Washington had made several attempts to get away from Bennett, including involving family and contacting the police. Bennett had been arrested the previous July for making harassing phone calls and threatening to kill Washington, which resulted in a stay-away order. The tragic event left a community in shock and a family grappling with an immense loss.
