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Armed gunman robs woman, 8-year-old at Lovejoy apartments

LOVEJOY, Ga. — A Clayton County woman said someone robbed her and her son at gunpoint, and she believes a long-due security fix could have prevented it.

Police are investigating the robbery at the Lakeside Village apartments in Lovejoy. Shante James described how it happened last week.

"He said he was going to kill me, to give up the money. Basically, I said I didn't have any money," she told Channel 2's Eric Philips.

James said a man with two guns approached and her 8-year-old son last Thursday as they were returning home from Walmart early in the morning. She said the man grabbed her and pulled both of them.

"I was saying, 'I don't have any money. Just take what I got.' With him taking what I got, he took my son's medication," she said.

She said her son suffers from severe seizures.

She believes the robber got in through a hole in a fence surrounding the complex. She said the property manager previously promised to address the issue.

"He said he was going to replace the fence a year ago, sir, and it hasn't been replaced," James told Philips. 

She also said she had to park in a dark area of the parking lot because she's disabled and said there's not enough handicapped parking to accommodate her.

Another neighbor shared safety concerns about an air conditioning unit in her window.

"Anyone can come through my window. Whether I'm home or not, they can still just climb through my window and just pull that thing out," said the woman, who requested anonymity.

Philips tried to get answers from property management, but the manager asked police to remove Channel 2 cameras from the property.

James said something needs to be done.

"Just give me what's necessary for my life. I'm not asking for anything more," she said.

Residents were also upset that they were not notified about the robbery.