Marando Salmon’s Funeral and Memorial Funds

Never have I thought that I would witness having to bury my son. No parent ever wants to experience such grief. I always thought it would be my children being old and burying me instead. It was just Thursday, November 03, 2022, the last day that I saw my son. He visited me, and as usual, greeted me with kisses and told me he loved me. Such a lovable, decent, and gentle person. Always playful and respectful. It just pains my heart to sit down and write such hurtful news. On Saturday November 05, 2022, around 5:40 am, my family and I was awoken by a loud banging on the door. We were startled by the aggressive knocking on the door. My husband answered the door with two men, not even announcing who they were, telling him that police had shot Marando Salmon. They left a piece of notebook paper with a phone number written on it that we were unaware of. They gave us no further information.

My heart was racing, and my body was shaken up. My daughter and I began to call 911, and they didn’t have any report on my son. We called Marando’s phone multiple times, and no response. We were worried because it was unusual for him not to answer his phone. I called the number the two men left, and no one responded. My daughter went to his house around 7:00 am, and he was not there. We found the address to the phone number, and my daughter went there, but the building was closed. It was long after that we realized the number given was for Dekalb Medical Examiner, which is closed on the weekend. We did not believe he was dead because we were only told he was shot by police, not killed. We thought maybe he was injured.

We were left without answers on my son’s whereabouts. The police did not contact us with any information. It was my daughter and granddaughter that kept browsing the internet, hoping to find some news on my son since the police and no one else could help us. My sister began reaching out to the police again to get some information, and long after, it was Grady hospital he was taken to. Grady called back long after, telling me my son was released but not explicitly saying that my son was dead and taken for autopsy.

My family and I were just confused and sad. My daughter and granddaughter found an article about Marando Salmon, 36 years of age, killed by police. It was said that someone called and reported that a stolen car was parked in front of the house. The police fabricated stories that when they came to the door, my son was noncompliant and pulled a handgun on them. Yet, which does not make complete sense because he was shot multiple times upstairs in his room. Why would police allow a “suspected” person to go upstairs and then turn around to pull a gun on them? If it was reported that a stolen car was parked at the house, they should have run the license tags.

It was just two months ago that he injured his foot after driving to pick up his girlfriend from work at the airport. The truck stopped working, and as he jumped out of the truck, he injured his foot. The car that they claimed was reported “stolen”, was a car that he rented because the truck he had was being worked on at the mechanic shop. He had been driving that car for months.

The police have taken the life of another innocent black man. They went there with no warrant. That brutal and heartless police wanted to murder my son. No one in the neighborhood heard any gunshots. People were awake during the hours they first saw police driving up to the driveway. When they brought out my son on the stretcher after 10:00 pm, people saw that he had his phone holding up and the light gleaming from the phone. It was noted that the ambulance and mortuary van drove off at almost 4:00 am. Which meant they had my son lying there to die before taking him to Grady Memorial hospital. Witnesses said that after hours, yellow crime scene tapes were placed outside, but in the morning, it was removed as if no crime had occurred. Which I find very suspicious. Police trashed his room upstairs and left a bloody scene. My son was NO criminal. A hardworking man who loves life and is very respectful. He left behind an eight-year-old daughter that is now fatherless and a life filled with goals he was working towards. I felt empty, and a part of me disappeared. If only I could put him back in my womb and give life back to him. How many more innocent black life must be taken for change to take place?! Why must families keep going through so much trauma?

This was unexpected, and I kindly ask if everyone could open their hearts and donate to help with Marando’s burial expenses. There are many unanswered questions, and I know God will bring justice to my son. He did not deserve to die in vain. Thank you sincerely!

Donations can also be made through Zelle and Cash app.

Audrey Salmon and Colleen Fearon