Man accused of killing 3 people in Atlanta-area attacks dies in custody
Man Accused of Atlanta-Area Shootings Dies in Custody
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, died while in jail following his arrest in connection with a series of shootings in multiple Atlanta suburbs last week. The man, who was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 6:48 p.m., was pronounced dead about half an hour later by detention staff. The Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office stated in a statement that there is no evidence of criminal activity or foul play in his death, though the medical examiner will determine the official cause.
Victims of the Attack
The shootings claimed the lives of three individuals: Prianna Weathers, a mother to a preteen; Tony Matthews, a father with a growing family; and Lauren Bullis, a dedicated Department of Homeland Security employee. Weathers was fatally wounded with multiple gunshot injuries near a restaurant in the Decatur area around 1 a.m. on April 13. Matthews was shot multiple times outside a grocery store in Brookhaven, an Atlanta suburb north of Decatur, about an hour later. Bullis was stabbed and shot while walking her dog in Panthersville, an unincorporated community south of Decatur, before 7 a.m. on the same day.
Investigation Details
Adon Abel was arrested on April 13 during a traffic stop in Troup County, which borders Alabama. He was charged with two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, and a firearms offense. After Matthews’ death, police indicated they would pursue additional charges. The Justice Department noted that a 9 mm handgun allegedly found at Bullis’ murder scene was linked to Damon Marquis Yarns, a homeless man who claimed to have sold the weapon to the suspect identified in a photo array.
“There is no indication of criminal activity or foul play,” stated the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office in a formal release.
During a search of Abel’s vehicle, Georgia State Patrol officers recovered a box of 9 mm ammunition and shell casings matching those from the scene where Bullis was killed. Officials are still determining if at least one of the victims was targeted randomly or if the others were chosen intentionally. Abel’s criminal history includes a sexual battery conviction, though the exact year of the offense remains unclear. Online court records reveal that Adon Olaolukitan, sharing the same birth date as Abel, pleaded guilty in June 2023 to four sexual battery charges in Chatham County, Georgia.
Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin highlighted that under the Trump administration, US Citizenship and Immigration Services has focused on preventing individuals with criminal records from obtaining citizenship. However, the US already prohibits most violent felony convictions from qualifying for citizenship, and it is uncertain whether Abel’s record predates his 2022 naturalization. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
