FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A grieving family is preparing to celebrate their first Christmas without their father, who was shot and killed outside a fast-food restaurant earlier this month.
In an exclusive interview with Channel 2 Action News, the victim’s 19-year-old daughter, Amari Goodman, said she is still struggling to process the loss of her father, 43-year-old Dominique Goodman.
Amari said her father was doing what any loving dad would do - stepping in to make sure his daughter was OK - when her coworker shot and killed him.
“I still haven’t processed it. It doesn’t seem real. I try to keep my mind off of it,” Amari Goodman told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden.
Dominique Goodman, 43, was shot and killed earlier this month in the parking lot of the Bojangles in Palmetto.
“I don’t even want to celebrate Christmas, because it doesn’t feel right,” his daughter said.
Amari says she was working her shift at Bojangles when her manager, Maurice evans, began harassing her. The situation escalated into an argument, and she says she called her father for help.
Police say Evans was told to go home, but he waited in the parking lot with a gun instead until Amari’s father arrived.
“He chose to pull out a gun and kill my dad,” Amari said.
She described her father as a devoted and hardworking man who always put his family first. She said he was the father of five and was expecting another child.
“My dad was a great man - a very hard-working man,” she said. “He took care of his kids. He put his family first. The way he treated his kids and the way he looked out and cared for everyone is something I will always take with me.”
Family friend and attorney Robert Leanza Williams Jr. said the case is deeply personal for him. Williams said he worked alongside Dominique Goodman at his Big Time law office.
“Mr. Goodman was my friend,” Williams said. “He worked with me at my law office, doing intakes and things like that. That’s why this case really touched my heart.”
Williams said his legal team has launched an independent investigation into the shooting. He alleges there is evidence suggesting Evans had a history of violence and may have been using drugs while working.
“There’s evidence this individual was using drugs during his shift,” Williams said. “There’s evidence he had been violent before, even toward customers.”
Maurice Evans is being held without bond and faces multiple charges, including murder and aggravated assault.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page for financial support.
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