HIRAM, Ga. — A woman shot and killed over the weekend after approaching police with a knife is now being accused of killing her son.
Hiram police say they were called to an apartment complex on Sunday afternoon after reports of a woman, later identified as Daniele McDowell, stabbing a man with a knife.
A video recorded by a neighbor showed McDowell, 39, with a knife, sitting by a naked man with multiple stab wounds.
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The Paulding County Coroner’s Office has now identified that victim as her son, 17-year-old Khalil Wigfall.
When police arrived, they tried to use a Taser on McDowell, but it didn’t work. When she approached them with the knife, officers shot her.
She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Wigfall was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hiram High School Principal Darius Hodge sent a letter home to parents confirming Wigfall was one of their students.
“I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Khalil Wigfall’s family and friends during this unimaginably painful time...Together, we will honor the memory of Khalil and ensure that our students receive the support they need,” he wrote in part.
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“She is a sweet person, she is a loved person and she’s a mother,” her cousin, Temicka Goodman, said. “She did not have to go out this way.”
Goodman said her cousin had just been released from the Cobb County Jail on Friday, where she was booked in on a felony criminal damage charge in January, and was scheduled to see her doctor on Monday.
“Why did you have to shoot her instead of de-escalating the situation?” Goodman asked. “If you knew who she was, you should’ve been trained on how to deal with it.”
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