Not far from where her son was shot and killed, Wanda Cooper-Jones cast her vote.
“I couldn’t miss the election for nothing,” she said after voting in Glynn County on Tuesday. “I had to cast this vote for me and Ahmaud.”
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Arbery, 25, was shot Feb. 23 by Travis McMichael in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. McMichael, his father, Gregory, and William Bryan face murder and various other charges in relation to Arbery’s death.
Arbery’s death became a major national story after video of the encounter was released in early May. NFL and NBA stars weighed in on his death. Former President Barack Obama called Arbery’s murder an “injustice.”
In the following months, his first name alone became enough to evoke passionate and emotional responses.
Begrudgingly, Cooper-Jones has become a vocal supporter of justice for her son and speaking out on the need for criminal justice and police reform.
She met with President Donald Trump in mid-June, saying he was “very compassionate” during their meeting. Cooper-Jones also spoke at the March on Washington in late August.