DICKSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — A 17-year-old Dickson girl was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend after she tried to jump out of his moving vehicle, police say.
Officers found Taylor ShyAnn Ratterree near the intersection of Highway 70 East and Henslee Drive on Dec. 16. She was transported to Skyline Medical Center, where she died from gunshot wounds.
ShyAnn's mother, Debby Benner, had gone to pick up her daughter after her shift when she noticed police nearby.
"I pulled across the street and parked and went up to the cops and asked if, if there was a girl there," Benner said.
"By time we got to the hospital, the doctor came in a room and told us that she didn't make it," she said.
Her ex-boyfriend, Hunter W. Jackson, 18, of Highway 70 West in Dickson, was arrested at a residence in White Bluff by Dickson Police Department.
Police say that around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jackson met her in the Kroger parking lot where she worked, and she got into his vehicle. Investigators say that as the vehicle approached a traffic light, ShyAnn tried to jump out and was shot.
Benner said her daughter had recently broken up with Jackson after dating him for two years in high school.
"She just said that she kind of felt like he was trying to control her. Didn't want her to do anything unless he knew about it," Benner said.
The grieving mother said the loss has been devastating.
"That has been the hardest night of my life ever," Benner said. "It's hard all day long, but especially at night, when it gets time to go pick her up from work and I don't have her to go pick up."
Benner wants people to remember her daughter as the energetic teen who loved her job, crocheting, anime and meeting new people.
"She didn't deserve for that to happen to her... So she at least deserves for people to know what she was like," Benner said.
A candlelight vigil will be held Friday in ShyAnn's honor in the Kroger parking lot starting at 6 p.m. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday, and the public is welcome to pay their respects.
A fundraiser has been set up to help ShyAnn's family with funeral costs. You can also donate directly to the funeral home in Dickson.
Jackson was booked into the Dickson County Jail around 1 a.m. Wednesday and is being held on a $3 million bond.
When it comes to intimate partner abuse, leaving isn't simple. The Young Women's Christian Association of Nashville and Middle Tennessee says the deadliest time for a victim is when they try to leave because, for the perpetrator, it's all about control.
If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, YWCA said to call 800-334-4628 or text 615-983-5170. For anyone in a crisis, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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