Three men charged in July murder of pregnant Georgia teen

Three men have been arrested and charged with both murder and feticide in the July killing of a pregnant Georgia teen and her preborn son.

Key Takeaways:

• 17-year-old Keiauna McFadden and her preborn son were fatally shot in July.

• Three men have been arrested and charged with murder and feticide in connection with the deaths.

• Studies show that homicide — and gun violence in particular — is one of the greatest threats to pregnant women.

The Details:

Keiauna McFadden, 17, was fatally shot in Columbus, Georgia, on July 27. She was five months pregnant at the time, and her preborn son also died.

Police responded to a residence following the report of a shooting at 1:10 a.m., to find McFadden and an 18-year-old female wounded. McFadden was later airlifted to an Atlanta hospital, but succumbed to her injuries on August 1, while the other female recovered from her wounds.

On October 3, Columbus Police announced the arrest of 21-year-old Javon Seals, 18-year-old Deandre Scranton, and 21-year-old Landon Owens for their roles in the death of McFadden and her child. They are each charged with murder, four counts of aggravated assault, feticide, drive-by shooting, and possessing a gun during the commission of a crime. Scranton has also been charged with theft by taking (motor vehicle).

On a GoFundMe page, McFadden's mother, Tinisha Hood, explained that her grandson, Za’Mauri, was stillborn following the shooting.

"In less than a week, I lost my daughter and grandson, both ripped from this world far too soon by a senseless act of gun violence. My heart is shattered. My world is broken," Hood wrote. 

Zoom Out:

Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women, and ranks higher than all other causes of maternal mortality. In many cases, women are killed because they refuse to abort their preborn children. Multiple studies have shown that women feel coerced or pressured into abortions, and when they refuse, they can face violence from the fathers.

While in Ohio, the alleged murderers are being held accountable for the death of baby Za'Mauri, preborn children his same age are allowed to be legally killed through abortion in Ohio as well as multiple states across the country.

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Why it Matters:

A 2022 Harvard study found that homicide deaths among pregnant women are more common than deaths from hypertensive disorders, hemorrhage, or sepsis.

Another study found that from 2009–2019, 68% of pregnancy-related homicides involved firearms. 

The Harvard study authors, Rebecca Lawn and Karestan Koenen, referred to gun violence as "a health emergency for pregnant women.”