'They took a piece of us': Arbrie Anthony's family gets 'sense of justice' with indictments
For Arthur Anthony, it’s been a tough couple of months since the killing of his 8-year-old daughter, Arbrie, outside their home on Third Avenue.
“As time goes on, I’m getting used to returning to normal things without her. Everywhere I go, as soon as I see something that she likes, it brings back memories but I’m doing a lot better than I was,” Anthony said. “It’s gotten better by the day.”
On Wednesday, five people were named in a 25-count indictment charging them in the death of Arbrie on Jan. 8 and a shooting in the same neighborhood two days prior.
Kendariss Brown, Antoine Redfield, Henri Beach, Destiny Rich and Antionous Thomas have been charged in the shootings. The indictments listed the five as members of the Loyalty Over Everything gang. All five are facing murder and gang charges.
Anthony said he was initially shocked to learn about the indictment but hearing the news makes him feel appreciative that law enforcement continued to look for those responsible in his daughter’s death.
“It doesn’t bring back my daughter, but it is sending a message to these guys that we are not playing with the gun violence or senseless killings,” he said. “It gives us a sense of justice. I know this is the beginning but it let us know they are heading in the right direction.”
Anthony said seeing the five charged, and any additional arrests made in the future, behind bars for the rest of their lives would feel like real justice to him and his family.
“Full justice would be everyone who is involved, even if there is more that they got to find, anyone that was involved, behind bars,” he said. “I won’t be able to get my baby back, I don’t think they deserve to be in the free world.”
The 25-count indictment also charges all five gang members with a shooting at a nearby location two days before Arbrie was killed. Anthony said there is some frustration over the fact that if they would have been caught following that shooting, which injured two juveniles, his daughter could possibly still be alive.
Related reporting:
5 gang members indicted in January fatal shooting of 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony
Photos: Hundreds gather for funeral of 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony
'She is going to be remembered': Aunt speaks about 8-year-old killed in Augusta shooting
Anthony’s sister, Jamila McDaniel, said the arrests and indictments do give them peace of mind but they demand more justice and accountability.
“It’s a little bit (of justice), this is just the beginning. It’s going to give us hope and give us light. It won’t bring her back but it will bring us some sense of peace,” McDaniel said. “They took a piece of us. They have ruined our lives forever for something that is just senseless. It still doesn’t make sense why she is dead, I don’t understand why.”
Keeping her legacy alive
Anthony said the family is in the process of getting Third Avenue renamed in honor of Arbrie. He said he has gathered between 200 to 300 signatures around the neighborhood and submitted it to the Augusta Commission to get the name change approved.
He said the community has helped him a lot in moving forward and being able to grieve his daughter’s death.
“The community support has been great. I get phone calls, I get text messages, I got friends, I’ve met people from this situation — that I didn’t know before — that check on, come see me,” Anthony said. “Just the love they are showing to keep me busy and keep me happy and those kinds words, the community definitely has shown a lot of love.”
Anthony said he is working with community leaders for a scholarship in Arbrie’s honor to be awarded to a graduating senior this May. With her birthday coming up, Anthony said they are planning to have a celebration at May Park in her honor on April 23 at noon.
“With (the indictment) happening a week before her birthday, that let me know that they were thinking about her, we were thinking and she, my daughter, was looking down without letting these guys get away with it,” he said. “It meant a lot to get a step closer this month.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Arbrie Anthony's family gets some justice with indictments in shooting
