ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� A man who served in the U.S. Navy after immigrating from Britain has been charged in in the Atlanta suburbs that quickly drew the attention of President 鈥檚 administration.
U.K.-native Olaolukitan Adon Abel, whose name appears in different variations in court and government records, is accused of killing two women, including a employee, and critically injuring a man.
Homeland Security Secretary called the shootings 鈥渁cts of pure evil鈥� and raised concern that Adon Abel, 26, was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022, when Democrat Joe Biden was president. Authorities have not given details about how he was caught.
Here’s what is know about the rampage.
Three early morning attacks, miles apart
The attacks rattled the Atlanta suburbs of Decatur, Brookhaven and Panthersville in the early morning hours Monday.
The first victim, 31-year-old Prianna Weathers, was found with gunshot wounds near a Decatur-area fast food restaurant around 1 a.m. She was taken to a hospital but died, DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick said.
Then, around 2 a.m., a 49-year-old homeless man was shot multiple times while sleeping outside a grocery store in Brookhaven, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of the first attack, Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said. The man, whose name hasn鈥檛 been released, remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition, authorities said Thursday.
DHS worker Lauren Bullis, who was out walking her dog more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away in Panthersville, was found around 7 a.m. with gunshot and stab wounds. She died at the scene, Padrick said.
Investigators in Brookhaven determined that the three attacks were connected, Gurley said.
Authorities have said they believe at least one victim was targeted at random.
DHS employee is remembered for her generosity
Bullis, 40, served in multiple roles at DHS Office of Inspector General, including as an auditor and an innovation team leader. DHS posted on social media that she brought 鈥渁 genuine sense of care to her colleagues each day.鈥�
Her family said in a statement that she loved running, reading and traveling, and 鈥渉er warmth and generosity touched everyone surrounding her.鈥�
Fellow DHS auditor Ashley Toillion of Denver described Bullis as 鈥渢he nicest, sweetest, most encouraging person I鈥檝e ever met.鈥�
The suspect pleaded guilty in a California assault
Military records show the defendant enlisted in the Navy in 2020, last serving in the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron in Coronado, California, and as a petty officer received a Navy 鈥淓鈥� Ribbon for superior performance for battle readiness.
Adon Abel pleaded guilty in October 2024 to assaulting two police officers with a deadly weapon and attacking another person when he was stationed in Coronado, according to California court records.
Brandon Naidu, an attorney who represented Adon Abel in the California case, said he was 鈥済utted鈥� to read about the allegations against him this week in Georgia and 鈥渉eartbroken鈥� in reading about the victims.
鈥淭his is not characteristic of the man that I worked with or represented,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n terms of all my interactions with him, he was always very, very polite, very calm, soft-spoken. I don鈥檛 believe I ever saw him get agitated or angry once.鈥�
Naidu said a report prepared ahead of Adon Abel鈥檚 sentencing did not show any prior criminal record before the case in California.
In Georgia, Adon Abel is accused of malice murder, aggravated assault and gun charges over Monday’s attacks, court records show. A public defender listed as his attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Mullin said Adon Abel has a criminal record that includes a sexual battery conviction. Online court records show that someone listed with a similar name and the same birth date pleaded guilty last June in Chatham County, Georgia, to four misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear if Adon Abel had a criminal record that predated him becoming a U.S. citizen in 2022. The U.S. has long barred people convicted of most violent crimes from attaining citizenship.
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