Georgia mother, 36, fatally shot by neighbor who was cleaning his gun
Carlether Foley, an actress and mother of a 17-year-old son, was shot in the head while sleeping in her apartment; family set up GoFundMe to help with memorial services
A Georgia woman and mother was killed on Sept. 26 when her neighbor accidentally fired a bullet through the wall of her apartment striking her in the head as she slept.
Carlether Foley, 36, was an actress who had film credits in several independent productions. She was originally from Houston and her family set up a GoFundMe to help with her memorial services and support for her 17-year-old son, Keyandre Benjamin.
It was Keyandre who found his mother unresponsive in her bed and called 911. He told ABC13 that his mother was his hero. “It don’t feel real. I found my mama by myself,” he said. “I just don’t get it. I don’t understand. She don’t bother nobody. My mama didn’t do nothing.”
The Foley family’s 22-year-old neighbor, Maxwell Williamson told police that he was cleaning his gun and forgot that there was a bullet in the chamber when the gun discharged.
He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. He is currently in an Atlanta-area jail without bond.
Foley’s mother, Jacquline, who is now caring for her grandson, said, “I’ve never experienced the hurt, the pain that I’m feeling. I don’t know what to do.”
She added, “You had no right to take my baby from me. You had no business taking her life away from her child. He’s 17 years old. This is his last year in school. You have hurt my family. You have took my baby.”
Her family wrote, “Carlether was an extraordinary mother, daughter, sister, cousin, and friend to so many and touched the lives of everyone around her.” They noted, “Carlether dedicated her life to making those around her smile and feel loved. She enjoyed her career in acting and enjoyed displaying her talents through film and stage productions.”
They wrote that the GoFundMe was created because “additional expenses occurred to transport her from Atlanta to Houston, and move her son back to Texas to be amongst family.” They also added, “We want to give Carlether the memorial that she deserves, to honor her memory and say our last goodbyes.”
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