BROOKLET, Ga. () — The GBI is conducting an investigation into the tragic death of a father and daughter in Brooklet, as the close-knit community grapples with the loss of two cherished members.
“Brooklet’s a small town, you don’t hear a lot about this kind of stuff,” said Donny Wilson, a co-owner of Roundabout Café in downtown Brooklet.
Bulloch County Dispatch got a 911 call Tuesday night of an unresponsive child locked in a car at the Brooklet Park.
“I got off at work at that time and I rode right past that place, but it was storming and thundering so it’s not like you could tell or hear anything,” said Wilson.
When officers investigated, they found 9-year-old Emily Mayo killed by a gunshot wound in the backseat of a vehicle.
According to the GBI, they found her father Lee Mayo dead in the front seat, appearing to have turned the gun on himself.
Brooklet Police Chief Michelle Reolegio told it’s a tragic ending for an innocent child.
“This child had nothing to say about it you know, she was here one second and gone the next,” said Reolegio.
Wilson shared that it’s been especially difficult for community members, many of whom are facing the challenge of explaining to their children that their classmate will not be returning to join them in the 4th grade after the summer break.
“Pretty much everybody knows everybody so that’s been even more devastating,” said Reolegio. “I’ve been getting a lot of calls because these kids, they all go to school together, they all know each other, they’re all close. So, it’s devastating for them and their family.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for Mayo’s family as they ask for prayers and support.
The bodies have been taken to the GBI medical examiner for autopsies. Their investigation is still ongoing.
