Neighbors raise reward in SW Atlanta slaying

Neighbors of a man killed while walking home from a southwest Atlanta bus stop will be going door to door this weekend, seeking to raise $5,000 for a Crime Stoppers reward fund to find those responsible for the man’s death.

Timmy Ashley was shot and killed around midnight Aug. 22 during a robbery attempt near the intersection of Danforth and Cascade roads. The 21-year-old Ashley had graduated from high school with honors and planned to become a marine biologist.

Police said they believe two men shot Ashley and left him to die in the middle of the road.

"You know, you have a road map for your kids," Caryln Ashley, the man's mother, told Channel 2 Action News. "Nowhere in the road map do you entertain the thought of burying your child."

About 70 neighbors have given Ashley’s family money to help them through these difficult times.

“Friends and family … have provided a tower of strength for us,” Caryln Ashley said.

With no arrests yet in the investigation, area residents also are becoming concerned.

“We want to apply pressure and let the suspects know you can’t come in and take a life,” neighbor Keith Harris told Channel 2. “We have to do something as like-minded individuals to support each other.”

Another neighbor, Donald Jeanne, said, “The community was very upset. Timmy was our son, too, in a way.”

Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspects is asked to call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Tips can be made anonymously.