Police say one suspect is tied to three shootings in DeKalb County and Brookhaven that left two women dead and a man critically hurt.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A 40-year-old woman was shot and stabbed to death while walking her dog in a DeKalb County neighborhood Monday morning, part of what police say was a string of connected attacks that ended with a suspect’s arrest in Troup County.
Authorities identified the woman as Lauren Bullis and said her killing was one of three shootings investigators linked by Monday evening. Police said 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel of Atlanta was taken into custody after officers tracked a silver Volkswagen Jetta connected to the violence. The shootings left Bullis and another woman dead, while a 49-year-old man remained in critical condition after being shot outside a Brookhaven shopping center.
DeKalb County officers were sent to the area of Battle Forrest Drive and Manassas Lane about 6:50 a.m. on a person shot call. When they arrived, they found Bullis with multiple gunshot and stab wounds, police said. She died at the scene. Neighbors told local television stations that Bullis was a familiar figure in the neighborhood and often walked her dog along the same route. One witness described the scene as chaotic and said she saw a woman on the ground and a man nearby before he ran. By Monday evening, DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Padrick said investigators had connected Bullis’ killing to another fatal shooting earlier that morning and a third attack in Brookhaven.
Police said the first known shooting happened just after 12:52 a.m. outside a Checkers on Wesley Chapel Road in DeKalb County. Officers found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, and she later died at a hospital. Her name had not been released because next of kin notification was still pending. A third shooting happened around 2:50 a.m. near the Kroger at Cherokee Plaza in Brookhaven, where police said a 49-year-old man who was part of the unhoused community was sleeping outside when he was shot several times. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said investigators had not found any prior connection between the suspect and that victim.
By late Monday, police said all three attacks appeared to be tied to the same suspect, though a motive had not been announced. Investigators said surveillance tools and Flock camera technology helped them identify and follow a silver Volkswagen Jetta seen leaving one of the crime scenes. With help from the Georgia Department of Public Safety and other agencies, officers stopped the car in Troup County and arrested Abel without incident. Officials said the attacks appeared to be random, but detectives were still working to determine whether the suspect had any relationship to any of the victims. Authorities also said there was no continuing threat to the public tied to the suspect once he was in custody.
Abel had been charged by Monday night with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the Brookhaven shooting. Fox 5 reported that DeKalb County authorities also said he faced two counts of malice murder in connection with the two deaths there. More charges could follow as the homicide investigations continue and prosecutors review the case files. Police have not publicly explained why Bullis was attacked while walking her dog in her neighborhood, and investigators have not released details about the weapon or weapons used beyond saying Bullis suffered both gunshot and stab wounds.
The case shook residents in two communities over the span of a few hours. Neighbors in Bullis’ area said she was known as a friendly presence on the street, while Brookhaven police said the wounded man had no known ties to the suspect. “This has been a very tragic day for DeKalb County,” Padrick said as police outlined the timeline Monday evening. Gurley said investigators were still trying to understand why the shootings happened at three separate locations and in such a short period of time. The quick arrest brought some relief, but police said many questions remain unanswered.
As of Tuesday, Abel was in custody and investigators in DeKalb County and Brookhaven were continuing to build the case. Police have said more charges are expected as detectives complete interviews, process evidence and notify families.
Author note: Last updated April 14, 2026.