Current:Home > MyEchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center|Shooting at a Walmart south of Atlanta left 1 dead and a girl wounded. Suspect is on the run. -Capitatum
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center|Shooting at a Walmart south of Atlanta left 1 dead and a girl wounded. Suspect is on the run.
TrendPulse View
Date:2025-04-06 08:57:33
A manhunt is EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Centerunderway 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 [email protected]
veryGood! (32)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- North Dakota takes federal government to trial over costs to police Dakota Access Pipeline protests
- 3 police officers shot at active scene in D.C. when barricaded suspect opened fire
- Jill Biden unveils Valentine's Day decorations at the White House lawn: 'Choose love'
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Beyoncé will grace the cover of Essence magazine
- Selma Blair apologizes for Islamophobic comments, participating in 'hate and misinformation'
- One Dead, Multiple Injured in Shooting at Kansas City Super Bowl Parade
- Video shows dog chewing cellphone battery pack, igniting fire in Oklahoma home
- Empty office buildings litter U.S. cities. What happens next is up for debate
Ranking
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- 60-year prison sentence for carjacker who killed high school coach in Missouri
- 13-year-old South Carolina girl rescued from kidnapper in Florida parking lot, police say
- Environmental groups sue to force government to finalize ship speed rules that protect rare whales
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- A Battery Company CEO on the ‘Massive’ Effect of the Inflation Reduction Act
- 2 arrested in 'random murder spree' in southeast LA that killed 4, including juvenile
- Officials tell NC wilderness camp to stop admissions after 12-year-old boy found dead
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Notre Dame's new spire revealed in Paris, marking a milestone in cathedral's reconstruction after fire
Pistons' Isaiah Stewart arrested, facing suspension after punching Suns' Drew Eubanks
How Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Spent Their First Valentine's Day Together
US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
A New Study Revealed Big Underestimates of Greenland Ice Loss—and the Power of New Technologies to Track the Changes
Exclusive: Craig Counsell mourns his mother as first spring training with Chicago Cubs begins
Maine governor’s supplemental budget addresses some needs after mass shooting