Atlanta man accused in deadly DeKalb County shooting spree

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A 26-year-old Atlanta man is in custody after a violent early morning shooting spree across DeKalb County left two women dead and a third person in critical condition.

What we know:

Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, is charged with two counts of malice murder (DeKalb County), aggravated assault (Brookhaven) and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (Brookhaven). 

Authorities believe he is responsible for at least three separate shootings on Monday morning.

Investigators tracked Abel's silver Volkswagen Jetta using FLOCK cameras. The Georgia Department of Public Safety eventually arrested him during a felony traffic stop in Troup County.

What we don't know:

Police have not determined a motive for the crimes. While Abel remains in custody, investigators are still working to understand why the shootings occurred.

Authorities stated that the attacks appeared to be random, but are still investigating whether he had a connection with any of the victims. 

Checkers shooting

Timeline:

Officers found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds just after 12:52 a.m. outside the Checkers on Wesley Chapel Road, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Her identity has not been publicly released. 

Cherokee Plaza shooting

Police said a man was sleeping outside the shopping center before 2 a.m. when Abel pulled up in a vehicle and fired several shots at the 49-year-old victim.

Officers heard a 911 call come in and responded immediately, where they found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

RELATED: Multiple overnight shootings under investigation in DeKalb, Brookhaven

First responders arrived and took the victim to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.  

Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said the victim was a member of the unhoused community.

A witness who lives nearby said he heard several gunshots early Monday morning and later saw the victim lying on the sidewalk before paramedics arrived.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as he fights to recover from this incident that occurred," Gurley said.

Police said the attack was random and the victim and Abel had no connection to one another. 

Battle Forest Drive shooting

DeKalb County police later responded to a location on Battle Forest Drive around 6:50 a.m., where they found 40-year-old Lauren Bullis suffering from both gunshot and stab wounds.

Bullis died from her injuries.

RELATED: Woman with dog reportedly killed in DeKalb Co. neighborhood

Residents told FOX 5 they heard multiple gunshots between 6:30 and 7 a.m. One neighbor said she saw the woman lying on the ground with a man nearby before he ran from the scene.

Community members said the woman would walk her dog along the route near Manassas Lane daily and was a friendly face to those who lived in the neighborhood. 

Dig deeper:

According to Chatham County court records, a 26-year-old man by the name of Adon Olaolukitan was arrested in April 2025 for inappropriately grabbing four women.

In September 2025, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail, 36 months' probation, and was required to receive a mental health evaluation.

He was originally charged with four counts of sexual battery and obstruction of an officer — all misdemeanors. 

What they're saying:

Witnesses say the final scene on Battle Forest Drive was chaotic. Neighbor Tiffany Williams described the moment she saw the attack: "I looked across the street. It was a lady laying down and a man over her, so I’m running. And my daughter was like, no, I get back because we heard shooting. But my instinct was to try to do what I could do to help her. And, so after that, we kind of look at each other. He took off going up the street."

Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley emphasized the lack of a prior history with the suspect, stating, "We also have no prior involvement that we’re able to locate with the suspect."

What's next:

The cases remain active and investigations are ongoing. Additional charges are pending.