This Thanksgiving in Ellenwood, Georgia, was devastating for a 16-year-old girl‘s family. While most of us were collecting leftovers and settling into post-dinner bliss, teenager Taylor Hamilton was standing on Wentworth Avenue waiting for her Uber. She had her earphones in, as Gen Alpha as it gets, while she waited nonchalantly. But that’s when she was shot.
Taylor was a sophomore at Booker T. Washington High School and a member of JROTC. The girl’s mother ( Nandi Hamilton) is now, in her own words, “planning a funeral instead of Christmas.”
It was just after 6 p.m. when gunshots shattered the calm of the neighborhood. Police have said Taylor was rushed to the hospital, where her mother prayed relentlessly. “I was praying, praying, praying, ‘God, please let Taylor be OK,’” she recalled to FOX. But, sadly, Taylor died from her injuries. Everyone now remembers the girl with good grades and a soft spot for babies and animals. Did the sweet girl really deserve to become another victim of youth gun violence?
Clayton County police have named a suspect, and it is a 15-year-old Adonis Alkarim. But he is being charged as an adult. He was arrested soon after, but authorities have not disclosed the exact charges or a motive. Did their friendship go wrong, or was it a misunderstanding? As of now, no one has answers. Taylor’s mother wants to know why anyone would take her girl’s life at all.
‘Sitting there with her earphones on’: 16-year-old murdered while waiting for Uber by ‘angry’ teen taunting her over boyfriend’s death, cops say https://t.co/bIZH18aU9l
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) December 3, 2025
Anyone who knew Taylor says she was a caretaker. The kind of kid teachers loved and who looked after others. Poor girl wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up because she was already wired to nurture. “She was like the big sister of her friends,” her mother said. “She took care of everybody.” And now her family must take care of her memory.
The heartbreak extends to Taylor’s grandmother (Hloniphile Nyide), who attended Spelman College and has ties to the Atlanta community. But as she is currently in South Africa, and unable to travel back for the funeral due to restrictions, she is mourning from 8,000 miles away. Meanwhile, Taylor’s mother was collecting herself enough to plan a burial that no parent should ever face.
To help cover the unexpected costs, the family has created a GoFundMe titled “Support the Burial of 16-Year-Old Taylor Hamilton,” which has raised more than $5,600 of its $6,000 goal as of the time of writing. Most of it came from small donations.
“It’s very, very sad,” Nandi struggles through tears. “Thanksgiving will never be the same.”
NEXT UP: 18-Year-Old Girl Drowned in Suspected Honor Killing – Family Stands Accused
