Sister describes account from another friend
Jayden's older sister, Gabbi Hood Miller, told WSB-TV that her brother had been staying overnight with a friend. She said another friend who was there told her the boys went outside to play fight to impress the girlfriend of the friend Jayden was visiting. The family alleges that the boy Jayden was fighting with shot him.
Fox 5 Atlanta, WSB-TV and 11 Alive reported Jayden's death. Speaking to Fox 5 alongside her cousin Shakira Terry and another relative, Hood Miller condemned what happened: "Senseless, senseless," she said. "Don't bring a gun to a hand fight and just ran off into the woods."
Family reports warrant; police have not confirmed it
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that police had neither publicly named a suspect nor taken anyone into custody. PEOPLE also sought comment from the Clayton County Police Department but did not immediately hear back.
On Oct. 22, 2026, Hood Miller told WSB-TV that police had called the family that morning and said a warrant had been issued for the alleged shooter. The department said its investigation remained active and could not confirm whether any warrants had been issued for that person.
Authorities urge anyone with information about the homicide to contact the Clayton County Police Department tip line. Anonymous reports can be made at 404-577-TIPS (8477), or callers can reach Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 1-888-373-7888.
Plans for trade school and a burial near his mother
Relatives recalled Jayden's willingness to help neighbors by mowing lawns and doing yard work, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. He was preparing to attend Job Corps, and his sister told WSB-TV that he planned to attend trade school in North Carolina, the family's home state.
He hoped to become a mechanic, according to 11 Alive. Away from those plans, he enjoyed watching football with his father and watching anime, including Dragon Ball and Naruto.
The siblings had recently lost their mother. "And now I got to start a new chapter of my life without my little brother," Hood Miller told WSB-TV. The family plans to transport Jayden's body to North Carolina for burial near his mother and has organized a GoFundMe to help pay the burial expenses.
Hood Miller also spoke to WSB-TV about the pain of losing her brother to someone he trusted. "I've been told a lot to be careful who you hang with cause it could be the people you trust the most that do it," she said.
Relatives question young people's access to guns
Terry told Fox 5 Atlanta that the family wants to understand why young people appear able to obtain firearms so easily and does not want Jayden's death to be in vain. "We just got work on that, it shouldn't just be that easy to pick up a gun and shoot someone," she said. "That's what Jayden would want us to work on."
Hood Miller challenged the idea that a gun could resolve a problem. "It just caused more problems for the family and for you," she said.
Everytown for Gun Safety's EveryStat fact sheet for Georgia, updated in October 2026, identifies guns as the leading cause of death among the state's children and teens. It reports an average of 235 firearm deaths in that group each year, with suicides accounting for 29% and homicides for 66%.
A statewide Emory University poll released Feb. 4, 2026, found that gun violence had become Georgia parents' leading concern for their children. Among respondents, 33% placed it in their top three concerns, compared with 27% the previous year. Education and school quality fell from 39% to 32%, placing it behind gun violence. The poll surveyed a representative sample of 1,002 parents in October and November 2025.
