What Tyler Perry did when he heard about the killing of an Atlanta-area single mom

The studio founder and movie mogul decided to act when he found out about the slaying of Tynesha Evans, and made a difference in the lives of her survivors

Melanie Eversley

Mar 19, 2019

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Filmmaker Tyler Perry is offering financial assistance to the family of a single mother from Alpharetta, Ga., who was killed Saturday morning outside of a bank.

The family of Tynesha Evans, 45, was facing eviction from their apartment and daughter Sharadiant Turner, 18, said she might have to drop out of Spelman College, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Evans was a mother of four.

According to a GoFundMe fundraising account started by Evans’ family, the healthcare worker and author was fatally shot near an ATM.

Atlanta’s WSB-TV reported that Evans had fallen on hard times and was to meet her boyfriend, Othniel Inniss, who had promised to withdraw money for her to pay her rent. Instead, Innis fatally shot Evans, police said.

When Perry learned of the family’s plight, he stepped in to offer to pay their rent and to arrange for Evans’ body to be flown back home to Wisconsin for burial, the Journal-Constitution reported. He also offered to take care of Sharadiant Turner’s tuition, according to the Associated Press.

Evans’ 14-year-old daughter Shakemia Turner called Perry an “angel on earth,” the AP reported.

The move by Perry, creator and alter ego of the “Madea” character of the big screen and stage, seemed to provide some relief for the grieving family.

“There’s really no words to describe how I feel,” Audrey Turner, 26, Evans’ oldest daughter, told the Journal-Constitution. “Not only is he going to help my mom with her funeral, he’s going to help with my living situation.”

It was Audrey Turner who picked up the telephone when Perry called to offer help, WSB-TV reported.

Sharadiant Turner told the station that thanks to Perry’s help, she will be able to continue with the studies that her mother wished for her.

“I’m going to do what she wanted me to do,” the Spelman freshman said. “She started me on math and now I’m going to get to graduate with a mathematics degree from Spelman without debt. It means everything.”