DeKalb County authorities say a single 26-year-old Atlanta man carried out three separate shootings across different locations in the county early Tuesday, leaving two women dead and a third victim—a homeless man—fighting for his life.
According to investigators, the spree began shortly after 12:50 a.m. when Olaolukitan Adon Abel allegedly shot a woman multiple times outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road. She was transported to a hospital but later died from her injuries. DeKalb County police have not yet publicly identified the victim as they work to notify her family.
About an hour later, Brookhaven police say Abel shot a homeless man who was sleeping in the parking lot of the Kroger in Cherokee Plaza on Peachtree Road. The man remains in critical condition.
Then, around 6:50 a.m., DeKalb County police responded to Battle Forest Drive in Decatur where Abel allegedly shot and stabbed a woman to death. The victim was identified as 40-year-old Lauren Bullis, who was walking her dog at the time of the attack.
A neighbor, Tiffany Williams, described hearing six or seven gunshots and running outside. “He was still standing there. He was pulling her clothes, her pants off her like I’m standing at the end of the driveway,” Williams said. “He didn’t care at all.”
DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Pedrick confirmed that the two homicides are connected. “Without getting into the details of the investigation, the suspect vehicle was a key piece in our investigations,” he said.
Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley credited a neighborhood Flock camera owned by a homeowners association with helping officers identify Abel’s rental car. Cameras continued to track the silver Jetta as it headed south.
State troopers stopped Abel in Troup County approximately 15 minutes after a BOLO was issued, ending the violent spree. He is now being held at the DeKalb County Jail, facing charges of murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said he believes the suspect would have continued to hurt people if not apprehended. “This has been a very tragic day for DeKalb County,” he added.
DeKalb County police are continuing to investigate Abel’s background. Records show he was arrested in Chatham County last year on four counts of sexual battery and one count of obstruction of an officer, but that case was dismissed. Brookhaven police said he has no criminal record with their department.
Neighbors on Battle Forest Drive expressed shock over Lauren Bullis’s death. “It was disturbing though, because we see the lady, she’s a very nice lady. She walk her dog mostly every day. She’ll speak,” one resident said. “She just didn’t deserve that. It was awful.”
DeKalb County police say they are still working to determine any possible link between Abel and the victims. The investigation remains ongoing.
