Mother of Secoriea Turner urges Jackson to stop using her daughter’s name, image in campaign ads

The family of an 8-year-old girl who was killed during a period of civil unrest in Atlanta is urging Republican candidate for governor Rick Jackson to stop using her name and image in campaign material, calling the ads “deeply hurtful.”

Secoriea Turner was fatally shot in 2020 while riding in a vehicle near a Wendy’s where a man had been killed earlier by police. The fast food restaurant had become the site for demonstrations against police brutality and calls for social justice during Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ tenure as mayor of Atlanta. Secoriea Turner’s death was part of a wave of violence occurring at the time that prompted the governor to call in the Georgia National Guard. 

Jackson has used photos and news coverage of the event as part of his campaign rhetoric, arguing that Bottoms failed to keep Atlanta residents safe.

Last week, Secoriea’s mother Charmaine Turner publicly urged Jackson to stop using her daughter’s name and image in campaign materials and sent his campaign a cease and desist letter. But attorneys who represent Turner’s family said that instead of honoring the request, the campaign doubled down, releasing a new attack ad featuring Charmaine’s screams as she called 911 after Secoriea was shot.

“Today we stand making it very, very clear that Secoriea Turner, that her death, that her image, that who she was as a beautiful 8-year-old, is not a part of any campaign property,” attorney Mawuli Mel Davis said during a Thursday press conference. “She should not be part of any political or campaign stunt. This is real pain.”

Turner’s mother declined to attend Thursday’s press conference, but she said in a statement provided through her attorneys that she would continue to fight for her daughter. In 2021, she filed a lawsuit against Bottoms and the city of Atlanta over their handling of the protests, which is still pending.

In a statement released ahead of the press conference, Jackson campaign spokesperson Garrison Douglas defended the use of Turner’s story in the campaign ads.

“We cannot imagine the immense pain the Turner family has gone through,” he said. “They are not a political talking point. They are one of the major reasons why Rick is running — so that another family does not have to experience such a devastating tragedy as a result of Keisha Lance Bottoms’ abdication of her duty.”

Shean Williams, another attorney who represents the Turner family, condemned the campaign ads as “morally irresponsible,” adding that Jackson never attempted to contact the Turner family before using Secoriea’s image.

“If it’s not a political point and he really cares about Secoriea Turner, her legacy, her image, then why hasn’t he even reached out before today, before he ran for governor?” he said. “It tells me it’s a political talking point because this is all political.”

The Bottoms campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.