Current:Home > StocksShooting at a Walmart south of Atlanta left 1 dead and a girl wounded. Suspect is on the run. -Infinite Edge Capital
Shooting at a Walmart south of Atlanta left 1 dead and a girl wounded. Suspect is on the run.
View
Date:2025-04-15 09:28:30
A manhunt is underway for a male suspect who police say was responsible for a Friday shooting inside a Walmart in Georgia that left one person dead and a 9-year-old girl wounded, police say.
The second instance of fatal violence inside a Walmart within a week in the United States, the shooting was reported around 10 p.m. local time at a store in Fayetteville, located 22 miles south of Atlanta, according to the city's public safety department. A 19-year-old man was the target of the shooting, while the child was merely a bystander hit by a stray bullet, police said.
Both victims were transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, where the 19 year old, identified as Antavius Holton of Riverdale, Georgia, was pronounced dead. The girl's injuries were not life-threatening, police said in a Saturday update on Facebook.
Investigators quickly identified a 19-year-old man named Adrian Jelks as the suspected gunman and initiated a search to arrest him on charges of murder and aggravated assault, according to the Fayetteville public safety department.
Detroit blues club shooting:5 injured in shooting over a parking spot dispute, police say
Police release photo of suspect; arrest suspected accomplice
Fayetteville police released a photo of a man they identified as Jelks within hours of the shooting.
By the time police responded to the Walmart, Jelks had already fled the scene in a vehicle that investigators later found abandoned. It's unclear where Jelks may be, but police warned the public that he is still believed to be armed and to call 911 if they encounter him.
Fayetteville Police Chief Scott Gray had no new information to share when reached Monday morning by USA TODAY.
A 19-year-old woman who is suspected of being an accomplice in the shooting was arrested by Saturday morning, police said. Sandra Romero-Nunez of Fayetteville was charged on suspicion of being a party to murder and aggravated assault, police said.
Shooting comes after fatal stabbing at Illinois Walmart days earlier
The shooting comes days after an 18-year-old Walmart employee was killed March 24 at a northern Illinois store in a stabbing attack.
Investigators said the victim was working inside the Walmart at the time of the attack, which occurred in Rockford, about 17 miles south of the Wisconsin state line. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, according to the Winnabego County District Attorney's Office.
While police said the Georgia shooting was not believed to be random, it was unclear what Jelks' suspected motive was for the attack.
“We're heartbroken by what happened in our Fayetteville store Friday night and extend our sympathies to the loved ones of those involved," Walmart said in a Monday statement provided to USA TODAY. "We are working with law enforcement to assist them in any way we can as they investigate.”
Shoppers told Atlanta News First that they were initially confused by the commotion Friday until they learned what had happened.
“This isn’t usually something that happens in this community,” Rhonda Cason told the news station. “It’s usually a quiet community. So, this is really unusual for us.”
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
veryGood! (37336)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- AI Robotics Profit 4.0 - Destined to be a Revolutionary Tool in the Investment World
- Fukushima nuclear plant operator in Japan says it has no new safety concerns after Jan. 1 quake
- Ali Wong gets real about Bill Hader romance: 'We're both in our 40s and parents'
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- People are eating raw beef on TikTok. Here's why you shouldn't try it.
- Rebel Wilson opens about recent 30-pound weight gain amid work stress
- Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- How Trump won the 2024 Iowa caucuses
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Dog being walked by owner fatally stabbed, Virginia man faces charges
- Lionel Messi wins 'The Best FIFA' men's player of year award, beating out Mbappe, Haaland
- New Mexico’s financial surplus and crime set the stage for the governor’s speech to lawmakers
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Joan Collins and Husband Percy Gibson Have Rare Date Night at 2023 Emmys
- Primetime Emmy Awards live coverage: Award winners so far, plus all the best moments
- Washington state sues to block merger of Kroger and Albertsons
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Janet Jackson is going back on tour: See where the superstar is performing this summer
Rob McElhenney Knows His Priorities While Streaming Eagles Game from the 2023 Emmys
Horoscopes Today, January 14, 2024
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
List of top Emmy Award winners
Emmys 2023: How Elvis Helped Prepare Riley Keough for Daisy Jones
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills: Odds and how to watch AFC divisional playoff game