In brief
In Atlanta, a man has been charged with multiple violent attacks in a single night that resulted in the deaths of two women, including a Department of Homeland Security employee, and left a man critically injured. The perpetrator, Olaolukitan Adon Abel, is facing serious charges including malice murder and aggravated assault. This incident has caught the attention of the DHS, particularly due to Abel's recent U.S. citizenship granted in 2022 amid concerns over his prior criminal record, which includes sexual battery. The motive behind the attacks is still under investigation, with authorities looking into whether the victims were selected at random.
ATLANTA (AP) — An Atlanta man has been charged in a string of attacks over a matter of hours that left two women dead and a man in critical condition, drawing the Trump administration’s attention after one of the victims was identified as a Department of Homeland Security employee who was walking her dog.
The killing of the DHS worker, Lauren Bullis, and the shootings of the two other victims on Monday led Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin to issue a statement raising concerns about Olaolukitan Adon Abel, the 26-year-old defendant who was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022.
“These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department and my prayers are with the families of the victims,” Mullin wrote in a statement, cataloging a litany of the defendant’s previous alleged crimes but not specifying whether they happened before he was granted citizenship.
Authorities believe at least one of the victims, the wounded man, was targeted at random while the investigation continues into the motives behind the other attacks.
The first victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds near a restaurant in the Decatur area around 1 a.m., followed by a homeless man shot multiple times at a grocery store in Brookhaven. Finally, Bullis, who suffered both gunshot and stab wounds, was found in Panthersville around 7 a.m.
Adon Abel was apprehended later during a traffic stop in Troup County. He faces multiple charges, including malice murder and aggravated assault. His courtroom records do not list an attorney.
Mullin expressed concerns regarding Abel's citizenship status, referencing the ongoing efforts of DHS to prevent individuals with violent criminal histories from becoming U.S. citizens.
