CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On April 29, 2024, Kelly Weeks' life changed forever.
Her husband, Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, was one of the four law enforcement officers killed in the east Charlotte shooting. A U.S. Marshals Service task force was trying to serve a warrant on Terry Clark Hughes, Jr. on Galway Drive that day when the man spotted them as they approached the front of the house. Hughes started shooting from an upstairs window before officers reached the house, officials claim. Five other officers were wounded in the ambush that day.
Nearly two months after that tragic day, Kelly Weeks spoke with WCNC Charlotte Anchor Sarah French about the memories that still fill their home and her heart.
"He just loved life," Kelly Weeks shared. "His smile was infectious."
The couple got married in their backyard.
"He just absolutely ... adored me and I adored him,” Kelly Weeks explained.
The couple both had two children from prior marriages and created a blended family.
"He took them in as his own," Kelly Weeks said. "He just had this kid-like mentality. He would be out on the lake playing in the water with them. He’d be tubing with them. He was the big kid that did all the fun stuff. He just brought a lot of joy to people’s lives."
Then April 29 happened. She found out about the deadly ambush while she was at work.
"One of my coworkers called me and said, 'I live in Charlotte, and they just put us on lockdown because there's an active shooter, and they said a deputy U.S. marshal was involved. Was Tommy down here?'" Kelly Weeks recalled. "I said, 'No, he's at the range in Mooresville.' Then, I looked at his Life360, and his phone was at that address. This was not a normal crime scene. This was a war zone."
Kelly Weeks said 30 minutes later, she got a call saying Tommy had been shot.
"I had, like, a 45-minute drive from Lincolnton to the hospital," Kelly Weeks said.
Fifteen minutes after arriving at the hospital, Kelly Weeks was told her husband didn’t make it.
"Looking around the room at the other deputy marshals that were there and seeing the emotion on their faces, they were worried about me, and then, I’m worried about them," Kelly Weeks said, getting emotional "These people are heroes. There’s no other word for them, and they are struggling just as much as I am, and they need just as much love and support as I get."
Tommy Weeks' absence left a void in her life.
"This week, I had a little bit of a breakdown because we went grocery shopping together, we worked out at the gym together," Kelly Weeks admitted. "Every fabric of my life involved him."
When deciding if the funeral would be broadcast and if she would speak during it, Kelly Weeks said she went back and forth, debating it.
"I decided that it was the only way I could truly get the message out of who Tommy was," Kelly Weeks explained as to why she decided it could be broadcast. "And it was my chance to tell the world who he was."
Kelly Weeks bravely got up during the memorial and delivered a moving eulogy.
"Everyone talked about how strong I was during the speech, but if you saw me two seconds later when Director Davis handed me the flag, you know it was full-on ugly cry," Kelly Weeks shared. "You know, there was no holding it back. I was so focused on getting through that speech that as soon as it was done, and I sat down, it was almost like this flood came over me."
What sustains Kelly Weeks now is the outpouring of love and support she has received from the community.
"[It] reminds me that people do still care," Kelly Weeks said. "It’s about the letters and the cards that’s what gives me hope. I think our legacy will forever be that making the positive out of negative, turning that around. I don't want his death to bring sadness because that’s not who he was. You know, I tell his daughter all the time the best way to honor your father is to live your life and live it happily. I’m a better person because of him."
Kelly Weeks wants to continue his legacy with Back the Blue fundraisers and events, as well as a scholarship in his name.
Contact Sarah French at Sarah@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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