Ever since 22-year-old Jayden McKinnon was fatally shot by a suspect who robbed him and stole his French bulldog three months ago, his mother has wondered how this could have happened to her son and what could have prevented it.
McKinnon moved to Atlanta from New Jersey in March 2022 and aspired to a career in music as a studio engineer, his obituary said. As he worked to break into the industry, he made money by following another passion: his love for dogs.
Jayden’s mother, Sahr McKinnon, said he worked as a dog walker and sitter, and hoped to breed his beloved French bulldogs one day.
Those dreams were extinguished in the early afternoon of Aug. 13 as Jayden walked his two dogs at Willowest in Lindbergh, the apartment complex where he lived with Sahr. He was shot in the neck during an armed robbery and one of his dogs was taken, Atlanta police said. Jayden was rushed to the hospital, but he later died.
Credit: Stewart Miller Simmons Trail Attorneys
Credit: Stewart Miller Simmons Trail Attorneys
Nearly a week after the shooting, police announced the arrest of David Edward Kinney on multiple charges. He is being held in the Fulton County Jail without bond. The dog was recovered and both of Jayden’s dogs are now living with his mother.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday at her attorneys’ offices, Sahr said she places much of the blame for Jayden’s death on the apartment complex, which she is suing for failing to provide adequate security.
She also can’t help but feel some survivor’s remorse. She has been questioning herself since the incident, she said.
“What if I had stayed home that day? Then people say it could have been me,” Sahr said. “We did move from (New) Jersey, so I blame myself for a lot of this. What if I had investigated and moved into a different complex?”
Sahr and her attorneys announced they were filing suit against WCV Pointe Lindbergh LLC, the legal entity that owns and manages Willowest in Lindbergh. The suit claims that the complex’s gate was broken, which allowed Kinney to allegedly access the property even though he was not a resident or a guest.
“Not only was the entrance gate broken, the security arm was missing,” said attorney L. Chris Stewart of Stewart Miller Simmons.
Credit: Stewart Miller Simmons Trail Attorneys
Credit: Stewart Miller Simmons Trail Attorneys
During the news conference, Stewart showed video footage that he said his firm recorded at the complex well after the fatal shooting that showed an unlocked, non-functional pedestrian security gate.
Sahr said she has since broken her lease and moved out.
Waterton, the Chicago-based real estate investment and management company that owns Willowest in Lindbergh, has not responded to an inquiry from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The complaint, which is being filed in Gwinnett County, did not specify how much money Sahr and her attorneys would seek in damages. According to the document, CT Corporation System, the company that serves as the registered agent for the apartment managers, is based in Lawrenceville.
In his obituary, Jayden’s family said he inherited a creative streak from his grandmother. His love for animals and his work taking care of dogs demonstrated his “compassionate nature,” the obit said.
His funeral was held in Neptune, New Jersey, in late August.
“Sadly, money won’t bring back her son,” Stewart said about Sahr. “But by putting the word out to apartment complexes that you must ensure the safety of the people who are paying you rent, maybe something will change.”
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