Third Victim Dies Following Alleged Shooting Rampage by US Navy Veteran
A third individual has tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during a series of shootings allegedly carried out by a US Navy veteran, with authorities linking the violent outburst to a heated dispute over air conditioning. Tony Mathews, a 49-year-old homeless man, passed away on Sunday after being shot in the early hours of April 13 outside a grocery store in Brookhaven, Georgia.
Suspect Faces Additional Murder Charges
Law enforcement officials are now pursuing an additional murder charge against Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old US Navy veteran who is already accused of killing two other people in the same string of attacks. Abel, originally from the United Kingdom, obtained US citizenship in 2022 while serving in the Navy and stationed in the San Diego area.
While authorities have not disclosed a definitive motive for the shootings, roommates have informed The Associated Press that Abel left his communal residence in a rage shortly before the incidents after engaging in a fierce argument regarding the home's air conditioning system.
Victims Include Homeland Security Employee
One of the other victims was Lauren Bullis, an auditor for the Department of Homeland Security, who was fatally shot and stabbed while walking her dog just a few hundred feet from Abel's residence. Her body was discovered around 7 a.m., adding to the toll of the violent spree.
Police reports indicate that Abel first traveled approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) from his home and fatally shot 31-year-old Prianna Weathers outside a fast-food restaurant in Decatur at 12:50 a.m. Subsequently, around 2 a.m., he shot Mathews outside a supermarket in Brookhaven, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of the initial attack.
Legal Proceedings and Previous Convictions
Abel is currently charged in Georgia state court with two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, and firearm offenses. He also faces a federal firearms charge, alongside another man accused of purchasing the gun used in the shootings on his behalf, as Abel had a prior felony conviction that prohibited him from legally buying a firearm.
Investigators revealed that Georgia State Patrol troopers apprehended Abel around 11 a.m. on Monday in Troup County, near the Georgia-Alabama border. Inside his vehicle, they found ammunition and shell casings that matched those recovered from the scene of Weathers' killing. The firearm and additional shell casings were located on the ground near Bullis' body.
Political and Security Implications
The shootings have prompted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to express concerns over Abel's citizenship grant during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency. Mullin highlighted a series of the defendant's previous alleged crimes, though it remains unclear whether any occurred before he became a citizen.
Court records show that Abel pleaded guilty in October 2024 in San Diego County, California, to charges of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal vandalism related to an attack on two police officers and another individual. Additionally, online court records indicate that someone with a similar name and identical birth date pleaded guilty last June in Chatham County, Georgia, to four misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
Authorities have stated that it is uncertain whether Abel knew any of the victims, with police believing at least one was targeted at random, underscoring the chilling nature of the alleged crimes.
