Community reacts to slaying of mother, three children at Elizabeth Canty apartments

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -One local neighborhood is shaken this week after what they is the most horrific crime the area has ever seen.

On Wednesday night, a mother and her three young children were found stabbed to death at the Elizabeth Canty Apartment homes in South Columbus.

Now, the community is left scratching their heads and wondering why?

Neighbors say they are shocked and in disbelief that someone could commit these heinous crime, especially against a child. They say violence is already out of control in this area, but that this trumps it all.

Many say they especially have trouble processing the loss of the innocent young children,

“That baby was nothing but a month old. Nobody can tell me that kids did to you to make you kill them I know they get on your nerves, I go through it everyday but they’re not going to get on your nerves that bad for you to kill them," said one neighbor.

“I don’t understand how someone could kill babies or an infant let alone stab them. That’s to me crazy like who could be so cold and heartless,” said resident Taylor Lawrence.

Another neighbor explained her frustration with the situation saying, “If you didn’t want your kids and you didn’t want to be bothered with them, go to the police department, the hospital. You could have dropped them off at the fire station, you could have dropped them off anywhere."

“The part with the kids that is very, very awful that just touched your heart because those are innocent kids just haven’t begun to live their life yet,” said another neighbor, Mary Glover.

One neighbor who was friends with Spellman said she always seemed like a caring and committed mother.

“She going to always have her kids at the end of the day. She was always at home with the kids, she didn’t go anywhere unless she’s going to work. She don’t do nothing. She’s always there with her kids," said the friend.

The community is already coming together to place memorials at the home with cartoon balloons and teddy bears in honor of the kids. They say they are also planning to have a candle light vigil in the coming days.

Travane Brandon Jackson, 27, has been taken into custody and charged with four counts of family violence - murder in the brutal killings. Police say Jackson was in a violent relationship with Spellman at the time, and that some sort of altercation may have led to the tragic quadruple homicide.

However, some people still have questions.

Another neighbor expressed her sadness as the tragedy saying “Everybody is so concerned about who killed the kids whether he killed them or she killed them. These are innocent kids. These kids did not ask to be here and their lives haven’t even begun yet and now their lives are gone."

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