Family mourns loss of two-year-old shooting victim

A toddler was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon in west Tuscaloosa.

TUSCALOOSA – The Jones family now has a hole in their hearts and lives they’ll never be able to replace.

“Ashton was a loving baby,” his grandmother Linda Jones said. “He was sweet. He didn’t do anything to nobody. He was just a loveable baby. He loved his grandmama.”

Now, grandmama’s lap is empty.  Jones graciously welcomed us into her home less than 24 hours after the tragedy unfolded in her front yard.

“That’s all we heard, ‘pow,’ ‘pow,’ ‘pow,’ ‘pow,’ ‘pow,’ ‘pow,'” Jones said. “I went to screaming, I went to hollering, ‘Oh my God. The baby was shot!’ He’s two-years-old. He just started his life. He’s just at baby life.”

Jones beamed with pride telling us about her “little man” Ashton, who she described as her littlest love and the light of her life.

“You don’t have a heart if you shoot an innocent two-year-old,” Jones said. “That’s a baby. He was loved on this earth. I can’t understand this. I can’t believe this.”

Ashton’s family has this message to those responsible.

“Whoever it is out there, please come forward, because you aren’t doing anything but making it harder on us,” Jones said. “We want to know why you did this to my grand baby! I can’t understand this – why is this world so cruel? Why do they want to take out an innocent baby?  That’s just a baby. We aren’t able to see him anymore. Do you understand? ”

The Jones family is no stranger to gun violence. Linda said it’s taken more from her than anyone should ever have to feel.

“I lost a son to gun violence in 2006,” she said. “God whoever is doing this, STOP! I lost my niece two years ago because of gun violence. Now, I’m losing my grandson by the same thing. Why us?  We try to treat everybody good. Put the guns down and if you are going to fight, fight with your fist. Don’t fight with your guns. Put the guns down,” Jones said.

If you have information in this case, you are asked to contact the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit at  205-464-8690.