‘He took my child away’: Murder victim’s family speaks out
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office released this photo of the man they say shot and killed Cynthia Wright on Fifth Street Tuesday morning.
Deputies say 32-year-old Cornell Thomas was arrested Thursday on murder and weapons charges.
Wright’s killing was the third deadly shooting in Augusta since Saturday.
The family says she was working overnight as a security guard for Union Agener Animal Health Distribution Center.
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Her family says Wright, 43, was well-liked by everyone.
They say that they never expected their family to end up in this position, talking about Wright.
Wright was a mother, grandmother, sister and security guard. The family says the list goes on.
“I always thought she was the perfect little sister,” said Wright’s brother, Keith Ramey.
The mother of four and grandmother to five had an indescribable bond with her family, especially her brother.
“My sister was the best person in the world. She was the best sister you could ever have, and she would give you the shirt off her back,” said Ramey.
Wright’s family says she worked two jobs. One of those was a security guard position at the business she was killed at. She worked the overnight shift.
Wright’s mother, Brenda Wright, asked: “Why did she end up getting killed when she was just working?”
Wright’s mother doesn’t know how she knew Thomas but says after shooting Wright, he took her car and drove it back to his mother’s house.
She says Wright’s car had a tracking device inside.
“That’s my only child. That’s the only girl I got, and he took my child away,” said Wright.
The family is now calling for action.
Wright’s niece, Alexandra Dunn, said: “Put the guns down. It’s not worth shooting somebody. I feel like putting them in jail is not solving anything.”
They think more community involvement can prevent more families from tragedies like Wright’s.
Ramey said: “For it to be you on the other end of that and now you feel the same thing as you see everyone else on TV feel, heartaches, pain, suffering.”
Although this didn’t involve young adults or teenagers, the family says that having more community resources go into building community centers will help end this cycle of gun violence in Augusta.
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