Hundreds mourn Atlanta father of 20 killed outside Greyhound station

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11 hours ago

The Brief
Hundreds of people showed up on Saturday to mourn the loss of D'Anthony Reaves, who was shot to death outside the Greyhound bus station on Forsyth Street on July 19.
Saturday's service was filled with music—something fitting for Reaves, whose brother described him as a "dancing machine."
Reaves' brother, Deoinetea Hightower, said the family plans to start a foundation in Reaves' name to help ensure all of his children are cared for—and to help fathers get off the streets and turn their lives around.
ATLANTA - Hundreds of people showed up Saturday to mourn the loss of a man who had 12 biological children and eight stepchildren.
What we know
D'Anthony Reaves, who family members previously told FOX 5 claimed all 20 children as his own, was shot to death outside the Greyhound bus station on Forsyth Street on July 19.
The line to get into the service at North Avenue Missionary Baptist Church stretched out the doors and into the parking lot, as mourners came to honor the late father.
Ten of Reaves' children were able to attend the service.
His family said the turnout showed just how loved and well-known their father and brother were in communities across Atlanta.
"Seeing everybody come out as one big community was really nice, and we really appreciate all the extra support because we're gonna need it," said Sha'Miracle Brown, one of Reaves' daughters.
Saturday's service was filled with music—something fitting for Reaves, whose brother described him as a "dancing machine."
"I think dancing and singing was his safe space," said D'Ana Reaves, another one of Reaves' daughters. "Oh and his laugh, he would just go on and on."
"My dad was like a crazy dancer, but I will always remember the music standpoint. Because some of us make music, all of us are musically inclined, some of us play instruments. So my dad passed that musical gene down to all of us," said Brown. "He loved his kids. You could ask anyone, any single person, and they would say we were his pride and joy. I don't think there's a room we could walk into that he did not mention us or our accomplishments or our accolades."
What's next
Reaves' brother, Deoinetea Hightower, said the family plans to start a foundation in Reaves' name to help ensure all of his children are cared for—and to help fathers get off the streets and turn their lives around.
"We're fixing to open up the D'Anthony Reaves foundation so we'll be able to serve his kids so they'll be taken care of," Hightower said. "We got the Power for the Fathers represented for him as well, where we help the fathers get off the street and get their lives back together."
The family also wants to see change at the State Capitol.
"Greyhound? I'm working on trying to get them to stop their policy of letting guns be carried across state lines…and we want Governor Kemp to come on with the gun law, close it back. We don't need our young brothers with guns," Hightower said.
The Source
Information in this article came from FOX 5 crews attending the service, as well as past reporting by FOX 5's Eric Mock.