People gather to mourn girl shot by father

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. – About 300 people attended a candlelight vigil in Tennessee at the Hendersonville home where an 11-year-old girl was shot and killed by her father.

An arrest affidavit says 29-year-old Timothy Batts told police he shot his daughter Timea Batts thinking she was an intruder after she came home from school on Monday. He originally told police that his daughter had told him she had been shot after school. The girl later died at the hospital.

Family, friends and neighbours of the girl attended the vigil Tuesday night, The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/2bf2vdG) reported.

People attending the vigil said the shooting was accidental.

Family member Gwendolyn Childress said Timothy Batts was a good father despite what had happened.

Pastor Adam French told attendees that Timea Batts loved her father, who moved the family to Hendersonville in search of a better life.

“This is not a story of a man who turned violent,” he said. “It’s a story about a man who grew up in a certain environment and had to deal with the consequences.”

Timothy Batts was arrested in connection with the shooting on charges of reckless homicide, tampering with evidence, false reporting and possessing a firearm as a felon. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com