In a desperate attempt to flee a history of domestic violence, 35-year-old Kelly Jean Garrison had sought refuge with her sister in the quiet community of Dawsonville, Georgia. A teacher from Tampa, Florida, she had recently left her home state, hoping to create a safe new life for herself and her young daughter. However, the man she was trying to escape, her ex-husband Kelley James McDonald Jr., 39, tragically tracked her to her sister's residence.
On the morning of April 5, 2018, the fragile peace Kelly had sought was shattered. McDonald forced his way into the home on Bryn Drive in Lumpkin County, armed and intent on violence. In a brutal rampage, he fatally shot Kelly Jean Garrison and her sister, 38-year-old Tracy Lynne Runnels. A 16-year-old girl who was also present in the house was shot and seriously injured during the attack. The sisters’ children, including Kelly’s 2-year-old daughter with McDonald, were in the home at the time but were not physically harmed.
The devastating event concluded when Kelley James McDonald Jr. turned the gun on himself, ending his own life. When Lumpkin County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, they discovered a horrific murder-suicide. The investigation confirmed that McDonald was wanted in Florida for domestic abuse and had actively searched for his ex-wife. The community was left to mourn the loss of two women, with the tragedy highlighting the far-reaching and fatal consequences of domestic violence.
