Vigil for Walmart Worker Found Dead Under I-285 Overpass

Published May 30, 2024 11:53pm EDT

Memorial Tribute for Area Barnett

On Thursday, a somber gathering took place in Atlanta, where close friends and colleagues came together to honor 25-year-old Area Barnett. Barnett was tragically found shot to death under an I-285 overpass by a film crew earlier this month. To the employees of the Walmart store on Cascade Road in Atlanta, where Barnett worked, the idea that coworkers are family rings true now more than ever.

“That was my work child. She was a person where to know her was to love her,” said fellow Walmart employee and close friend, Shameeka Burns.

Workers and Friends Gather at Walmart to Remember

Dozens of employees assembled at the Walmart store, releasing balloons into the Atlanta sky as a poignant tribute to their friend and coworker. Her body was found on May 16 at the intersection of Collier and Hardwell roads near the I-285 overpass. Friends and coworkers migrated to this location on Thursday evening to continue the memorial, arranging stuffed animals, candles, and even her Walmart vest as tokens of remembrance.

Barnett’s Impact on Those Around Her

The impact of Barnett’s loss reaches beyond the confines of the workplace. “She was our sister, blood couldn’t make us any closer,” said an emotionally moved Tabitha Hammond, a close friend of Area Barnett. Her friends are struggling to come to terms with her brutal death, expressing frustration at the lack of progress in her murder investigation. “I don’t know why somebody would do this, they over-killed her. It doesn’t make no sense because she never did nothing to nobody!” Hammond vehemently declared.

A Call for Justice

While the Atlanta Police Department (APD) confirmed on Thursday that the investigation is “active and ongoing,” friends and coworkers continue to urge for justice to be served. Barnett’s friends have made it clear they won’t rest until the person responsible for her death faces consequences. “This is not something we’re going to let go. We’re going to continue; this is not going to be some cold case…because we are going to get justice, and we got to keep hunting everything down. We ain’t stopping,” said close friend Kenyatta Williams.

As Atlanta continues to grapple with the tragic loss of Area Barnett, friends, family, and coworkers hope that the celebration of her life will not be overshadowed by the circumstances of her death but serve as a reminder of the justice still owed.