East Point, Ga. — A community that had come together for mourning and remembrance is now shaken by the heartbreaking loss of Ina Chambers, 55, who was fatally shot in a drive-by just outside Gus Thornhill Funeral Home on Friday afternoon. The tragedy unfolded as she stood near the entrance dropping off her daughter for a scheduled viewing.
The calm of a grieving crowd turned to terror when multiple shots rang out near the intersection of Gus Thornhill Jr. Drive and South Bayard Street. Police say suspects inside a vehicle opened fire on the property while four families were gathered for various services. Chambers was struck and later pronounced dead at the scene by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Another woman was injured in the attack but survived. Her injuries were described as minor and non-life-threatening, and emergency responders treated her at the scene. Authorities have not released her name.
East Point Police Chief Shawn Buchanan called the incident a “senseless act of violence” and extended deep condolences to all the families affected. He vowed that investigators are working relentlessly to identify and arrest those responsible. “It’s an outrage that cowardly individuals chose to commit such violence while families were at their most vulnerable,” Buchanan said.
Friends and loved ones who came to the funeral home for comfort were left in disbelief. Witnesses described the emotional shock of seeing gunfire disrupt a place meant for solace. One close friend, Ken Lott, said Chambers was well known throughout the southeast Atlanta community, with deep connections to South Atlanta High School, Fulton High School, and Walter F. Jones High School. He called her a “pillar of the community,” beloved for her kindness and devotion to family.
Chambers had simply gone to support her daughter and family when her life was taken in a moment of violence that no one saw coming. People gathered after the shooting wrapped their arms around one another in grief, struggling to make sense of such cruelty in a place of mourning.
Police are continuing their investigation. No suspects have been publicly identified, and the motive remains unknown. Authorities are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward as the community grieves a loss that should never have happened.
