DECATUR, Ga. (Court TV) — Police have arrested a man they say killed two women and injured a man at random in a shooting spree across DeKalb County, Georgia.
Olaolukitan Adon Abel is accused of killing two women in Georgia. (Dept. of Homeland Security)
Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, is charged with two counts of malice murder, one count of aggravated assault and gun charges after the alleged attacks on Monday morning. At a news conference, investigators said the first crime was committed in unincorporated DeKalb County just after 12:50 a.m., when a woman was shot multiple times outside of a Checkers.
Just before 2 a.m., officers in Brookhaven received reports of a person who was shot. They found a 49-year-old man on the sidewalk who was shot multiple times. Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley described the incident as a “completely random attack,” and said the victim was an unhoused person who was asleep when they were hit by bullets fired from a car.
It was 6:50 a.m. when the next report of a shooting came in from DeKalb County. In that case, another adult woman was found shot to death on the sidewalk. The Department of Homeland Security identified the woman as Lauren Bullis, who served in multiple roles at the DHS Office of Inspector General. Federal officials said Bullis was out walking her dog when she was shot and stabbed. “These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department and my prayers are with the families of the victims,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement following Abel’s arrest.
Lauren Bullis was shot and stabbed to death while out walking her dog. (Dept. of Homeland Security)
Investigators said the common thread between the three scenes was a silver Volkswagen Jetta, which was spotted leaving the first crime scene. Officers used technology to track the vehicle to Troup County, where the defendant was arrested following a traffic stop.
Federal officials described Abel as a naturalized citizen who was born in the United Kingdom; he has a previous criminal record with convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism, DHS officers said.
Abel’s attorney, Jamie Schickler, filed a motion seeking bond for her client. Her motion argues that Abel “poses no significant risk of fleeing from the jurisdiction of the court of railing to appear in court when required. Defendant poses no significant threat of danger to any person, to the community, or to any property in the community.”
A bond hearing is scheduled for April 27.
