Harlem, GA – Alana May Calahan, 14, entered into rest on Monday, January 31, 2011.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at Bethesda Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Clayton R. Galloway, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at Bellevue Memorial Gardens.
Alana was a student at Harlem Middle School. She attended Bethesda Baptist Church and Pineview Baptist Church where she was active in the Youth Groups. Alana loved her family and friends and was known for her infectious smile. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends and riding four wheelers. Alana touched many people throughout her life.
Survivors include her parents, Paul Calahan, Jr. and Betty Calahan of Harlem, GA, three brothers, Chase Calahan, Paul Calahan, III, Jason Calahan, two sisters, Amanda Calahan and Haylie Calahan, all of Harlem, GA, paternal grandparents, Paul Calahan, Sr. and Jane Calahan, maternal grandmother, Jewel Goff. Alana was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, the late Henry Burke, Sr.
Pallbearers will be Bruce Alford, Tyler Alford, Henry Burke, Jr., Chris DuBois, Austin Lewis, and Boyd Goff.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the funeral home.
The 14-year-old boy accused of killing a girl stood by and watched as her sister tried to save her life, the victim's mother said.
Betty Jo Calahan said Aaron Schmidt shot her 14-year-old daughter, Alana, on Monday and looked on as Alana's sister performed CPR.
According to Calahan, Schmidt told Alana's sister, Amanda, that he had chased away an intruder and found her lying in the woods behind her home on Miles Road near County Line Road in western Col-umbia County.
"He stood there and watched as my youngest (son) wanted (Alana) to get up and while her sister was trying to do CPR on her," Calahan said. "He told Amanda that he saw someone wearing black and he had chased them away, and that's when he saw Alana."
About 3:15 p.m. Monday, 18-year-old Amanda Calahan picked up Alana from the bus stop at the end of the family's half-milelong driveway. She dropped Alana off at home and went back to pick up her younger brother, who rode a later bus.
"She was only gone five or 10 minutes," Betty Jo Calahan said. "When they got back, they went into the house and saw the mess."
Police say the Harlem Middle School eighth-grader was shot from behind as she sat at a computer in the dining room. She was then dragged outside, across the backyard and into the woods.
Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins confirmed Wednesday that Alana died of a gunshot wound to the head and neck, based on an autopsy performed Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Augusta.
Schmidt, who also lives on Miles Road, was charged with murder and is being held in the Regional Youth Detention Center, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. He told police the shooting was accidental.
Morris said Wednesday that police had no record of prior incidents involving Schmidt.
Though Schmidt lives in the Harlem High School attendance zone, he attended classes at Grovetown High School. Columbia County Schools Superintendent Charles Nagle said many students receive waivers to attend schools outside their zones, but he would offer no specifics on why Schmidt received such a waiver.
Calahan said she was aware that Schmidt, a freshman, had trouble at home and was at Grovetown High to take part in a program for students with behavioral disorders.
However, Calahan said she never saw violence or other odd behavior from Schmidt, whom she often welcomed into her home after the Calahans moved to Harlem from Martinez last summer.
"I treated that boy like he was one of my own," Calahan said, adding that Schmidt spent many afternoons at her home riding four-wheelers or hanging out with Alana. He often ate dinner at the Calahans' table.
When Alana was 13, she and Schmidt were briefly in an innocent girlfriend-boyfriend relationship after the Calahans moved to Harlem. But Alana "told him she could only be friends because she wasn't old enough to have a boyfriend," Calahan said.
On Monday afternoon, Alana was shot with her father's 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.
Calahan said the unloaded gun was tucked away in her bedroom and that Schmidt would have had to rifle through her room to find it.
"She was pure," Calahan said of her A-student daughter who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. "She was innocent. She didn't deserve that."
On Feb. 9, 2012, Aaron Schmidt was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, felony theft (for stealing the weapon), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life without parole.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at Bethesda Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Clayton R. Galloway, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at Bellevue Memorial Gardens.
Alana was a student at Harlem Middle School. She attended Bethesda Baptist Church and Pineview Baptist Church where she was active in the Youth Groups. Alana loved her family and friends and was known for her infectious smile. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends and riding four wheelers. Alana touched many people throughout her life.
Survivors include her parents, Paul Calahan, Jr. and Betty Calahan of Harlem, GA, three brothers, Chase Calahan, Paul Calahan, III, Jason Calahan, two sisters, Amanda Calahan and Haylie Calahan, all of Harlem, GA, paternal grandparents, Paul Calahan, Sr. and Jane Calahan, maternal grandmother, Jewel Goff. Alana was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, the late Henry Burke, Sr.
Pallbearers will be Bruce Alford, Tyler Alford, Henry Burke, Jr., Chris DuBois, Austin Lewis, and Boyd Goff.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the funeral home.
The 14-year-old boy accused of killing a girl stood by and watched as her sister tried to save her life, the victim's mother said.
Betty Jo Calahan said Aaron Schmidt shot her 14-year-old daughter, Alana, on Monday and looked on as Alana's sister performed CPR.
According to Calahan, Schmidt told Alana's sister, Amanda, that he had chased away an intruder and found her lying in the woods behind her home on Miles Road near County Line Road in western Col-umbia County.
"He stood there and watched as my youngest (son) wanted (Alana) to get up and while her sister was trying to do CPR on her," Calahan said. "He told Amanda that he saw someone wearing black and he had chased them away, and that's when he saw Alana."
About 3:15 p.m. Monday, 18-year-old Amanda Calahan picked up Alana from the bus stop at the end of the family's half-milelong driveway. She dropped Alana off at home and went back to pick up her younger brother, who rode a later bus.
"She was only gone five or 10 minutes," Betty Jo Calahan said. "When they got back, they went into the house and saw the mess."
Police say the Harlem Middle School eighth-grader was shot from behind as she sat at a computer in the dining room. She was then dragged outside, across the backyard and into the woods.
Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins confirmed Wednesday that Alana died of a gunshot wound to the head and neck, based on an autopsy performed Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Augusta.
Schmidt, who also lives on Miles Road, was charged with murder and is being held in the Regional Youth Detention Center, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. He told police the shooting was accidental.
Morris said Wednesday that police had no record of prior incidents involving Schmidt.
Though Schmidt lives in the Harlem High School attendance zone, he attended classes at Grovetown High School. Columbia County Schools Superintendent Charles Nagle said many students receive waivers to attend schools outside their zones, but he would offer no specifics on why Schmidt received such a waiver.
Calahan said she was aware that Schmidt, a freshman, had trouble at home and was at Grovetown High to take part in a program for students with behavioral disorders.
However, Calahan said she never saw violence or other odd behavior from Schmidt, whom she often welcomed into her home after the Calahans moved to Harlem from Martinez last summer.
"I treated that boy like he was one of my own," Calahan said, adding that Schmidt spent many afternoons at her home riding four-wheelers or hanging out with Alana. He often ate dinner at the Calahans' table.
When Alana was 13, she and Schmidt were briefly in an innocent girlfriend-boyfriend relationship after the Calahans moved to Harlem. But Alana "told him she could only be friends because she wasn't old enough to have a boyfriend," Calahan said.
On Monday afternoon, Alana was shot with her father's 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.
Calahan said the unloaded gun was tucked away in her bedroom and that Schmidt would have had to rifle through her room to find it.
"She was pure," Calahan said of her A-student daughter who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. "She was innocent. She didn't deserve that."
On Feb. 9, 2012, Aaron Schmidt was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, felony theft (for stealing the weapon), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life without parole.
Harlem, GA – Alana May Calahan, 14, entered into rest on Monday, January 31, 2011.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at Bethesda Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Clayton R. Galloway, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at Bellevue Memorial Gardens.
Alana was a student at Harlem Middle School. She attended Bethesda Baptist Church and Pineview Baptist Church where she was active in the Youth Groups. Alana loved her family and friends and was known for her infectious smile. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends and riding four wheelers. Alana touched many people throughout her life.
Survivors include her parents, Paul Calahan, Jr. and Betty Calahan of Harlem, GA, three brothers, Chase Calahan, Paul Calahan, III, Jason Calahan, two sisters, Amanda Calahan and Haylie Calahan, all of Harlem, GA, paternal grandparents, Paul Calahan, Sr. and Jane Calahan, maternal grandmother, Jewel Goff. Alana was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, the late Henry Burke, Sr.
Pallbearers will be Bruce Alford, Tyler Alford, Henry Burke, Jr., Chris DuBois, Austin Lewis, and Boyd Goff.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the funeral home.
The 14-year-old boy accused of killing a girl stood by and watched as her sister tried to save her life, the victim's mother said.
Betty Jo Calahan said Aaron Schmidt shot her 14-year-old daughter, Alana, on Monday and looked on as Alana's sister performed CPR.
According to Calahan, Schmidt told Alana's sister, Amanda, that he had chased away an intruder and found her lying in the woods behind her home on Miles Road near County Line Road in western Col-umbia County.
"He stood there and watched as my youngest (son) wanted (Alana) to get up and while her sister was trying to do CPR on her," Calahan said. "He told Amanda that he saw someone wearing black and he had chased them away, and that's when he saw Alana."
About 3:15 p.m. Monday, 18-year-old Amanda Calahan picked up Alana from the bus stop at the end of the family's half-milelong driveway. She dropped Alana off at home and went back to pick up her younger brother, who rode a later bus.
"She was only gone five or 10 minutes," Betty Jo Calahan said. "When they got back, they went into the house and saw the mess."
Police say the Harlem Middle School eighth-grader was shot from behind as she sat at a computer in the dining room. She was then dragged outside, across the backyard and into the woods.
Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins confirmed Wednesday that Alana died of a gunshot wound to the head and neck, based on an autopsy performed Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Augusta.
Schmidt, who also lives on Miles Road, was charged with murder and is being held in the Regional Youth Detention Center, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. He told police the shooting was accidental.
Morris said Wednesday that police had no record of prior incidents involving Schmidt.
Though Schmidt lives in the Harlem High School attendance zone, he attended classes at Grovetown High School. Columbia County Schools Superintendent Charles Nagle said many students receive waivers to attend schools outside their zones, but he would offer no specifics on why Schmidt received such a waiver.
Calahan said she was aware that Schmidt, a freshman, had trouble at home and was at Grovetown High to take part in a program for students with behavioral disorders.
However, Calahan said she never saw violence or other odd behavior from Schmidt, whom she often welcomed into her home after the Calahans moved to Harlem from Martinez last summer.
"I treated that boy like he was one of my own," Calahan said, adding that Schmidt spent many afternoons at her home riding four-wheelers or hanging out with Alana. He often ate dinner at the Calahans' table.
When Alana was 13, she and Schmidt were briefly in an innocent girlfriend-boyfriend relationship after the Calahans moved to Harlem. But Alana "told him she could only be friends because she wasn't old enough to have a boyfriend," Calahan said.
On Monday afternoon, Alana was shot with her father's 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.
Calahan said the unloaded gun was tucked away in her bedroom and that Schmidt would have had to rifle through her room to find it.
"She was pure," Calahan said of her A-student daughter who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. "She was innocent. She didn't deserve that."
On Feb. 9, 2012, Aaron Schmidt was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, felony theft (for stealing the weapon), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life without parole.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at Bethesda Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Clayton R. Galloway, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at Bellevue Memorial Gardens.
Alana was a student at Harlem Middle School. She attended Bethesda Baptist Church and Pineview Baptist Church where she was active in the Youth Groups. Alana loved her family and friends and was known for her infectious smile. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends and riding four wheelers. Alana touched many people throughout her life.
Survivors include her parents, Paul Calahan, Jr. and Betty Calahan of Harlem, GA, three brothers, Chase Calahan, Paul Calahan, III, Jason Calahan, two sisters, Amanda Calahan and Haylie Calahan, all of Harlem, GA, paternal grandparents, Paul Calahan, Sr. and Jane Calahan, maternal grandmother, Jewel Goff. Alana was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, the late Henry Burke, Sr.
Pallbearers will be Bruce Alford, Tyler Alford, Henry Burke, Jr., Chris DuBois, Austin Lewis, and Boyd Goff.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the funeral home.
The 14-year-old boy accused of killing a girl stood by and watched as her sister tried to save her life, the victim's mother said.
Betty Jo Calahan said Aaron Schmidt shot her 14-year-old daughter, Alana, on Monday and looked on as Alana's sister performed CPR.
According to Calahan, Schmidt told Alana's sister, Amanda, that he had chased away an intruder and found her lying in the woods behind her home on Miles Road near County Line Road in western Col-umbia County.
"He stood there and watched as my youngest (son) wanted (Alana) to get up and while her sister was trying to do CPR on her," Calahan said. "He told Amanda that he saw someone wearing black and he had chased them away, and that's when he saw Alana."
About 3:15 p.m. Monday, 18-year-old Amanda Calahan picked up Alana from the bus stop at the end of the family's half-milelong driveway. She dropped Alana off at home and went back to pick up her younger brother, who rode a later bus.
"She was only gone five or 10 minutes," Betty Jo Calahan said. "When they got back, they went into the house and saw the mess."
Police say the Harlem Middle School eighth-grader was shot from behind as she sat at a computer in the dining room. She was then dragged outside, across the backyard and into the woods.
Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins confirmed Wednesday that Alana died of a gunshot wound to the head and neck, based on an autopsy performed Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Augusta.
Schmidt, who also lives on Miles Road, was charged with murder and is being held in the Regional Youth Detention Center, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. He told police the shooting was accidental.
Morris said Wednesday that police had no record of prior incidents involving Schmidt.
Though Schmidt lives in the Harlem High School attendance zone, he attended classes at Grovetown High School. Columbia County Schools Superintendent Charles Nagle said many students receive waivers to attend schools outside their zones, but he would offer no specifics on why Schmidt received such a waiver.
Calahan said she was aware that Schmidt, a freshman, had trouble at home and was at Grovetown High to take part in a program for students with behavioral disorders.
However, Calahan said she never saw violence or other odd behavior from Schmidt, whom she often welcomed into her home after the Calahans moved to Harlem from Martinez last summer.
"I treated that boy like he was one of my own," Calahan said, adding that Schmidt spent many afternoons at her home riding four-wheelers or hanging out with Alana. He often ate dinner at the Calahans' table.
When Alana was 13, she and Schmidt were briefly in an innocent girlfriend-boyfriend relationship after the Calahans moved to Harlem. But Alana "told him she could only be friends because she wasn't old enough to have a boyfriend," Calahan said.
On Monday afternoon, Alana was shot with her father's 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.
Calahan said the unloaded gun was tucked away in her bedroom and that Schmidt would have had to rifle through her room to find it.
"She was pure," Calahan said of her A-student daughter who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. "She was innocent. She didn't deserve that."
On Feb. 9, 2012, Aaron Schmidt was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, felony theft (for stealing the weapon), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life without parole.
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