18-year-old killed by stray bullet while asleep in her bed

ATLANTA — A stray bullet from a shootout went through a home and killed a teenager while she was asleep in her bed.

Family members of Jessica Daniels told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes they have been comforting each other all day. Three people were in the house when bullets went through it.

“I was downstairs asleep, I heard the shots and I jumped up,” said Sanders Love, Daniel’s grandfather.

That gunfire erupted at the home along River Ridge Drive around 6 a.m. Thursday.

“I heard shots. I’m thinking it’s just outside. Then I hear them in the house,” Love said.

Police say there was a shootout in the street.

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“We do believe there were at least two shooters and there was an exchange of gunfire that lasted several minutes probably,” said Lt. Andrea Webster, with the Atlanta Police Department.

Investigators counted at least 18 shell casings and they know they came from at least two different guns.

But trying to find out who was shooting those guns has been difficult. The Atlanta Police Foundation added to the Crime Stoppers reward, now making it $10,000.

Relatives believe that money will encourage someone to tell police who was firing shots in the neighborhood Thursday morning.

Daniels was a recent graduate of South Atlanta High School. She had a job interview set up for Thursday and relatives say she had a bright future

“That’s what killed me. It took the life out of me. I’d rather it be me than my granddaughter. That hurt me so bad and I’m not going to rest until somebody let me know something,” Love said.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.

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