A man from Atlanta faces murder charges following a deadly rampage that spanned several hours and multiple locations, claiming the lives of two women and critically injuring a third victim. The violence has captured federal attention after officials confirmed one victim worked for the Department of Homeland Security.
The federal employee, identified as Lauren Bullis, was fatally shot and stabbed while walking her dog early Monday morning. Her death, along with the shooting of two other victims that same day, prompted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release a public statement questioning how the suspect, 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel from the United Kingdom, obtained American citizenship in 2022 during the Biden presidency.
“These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department and my prayers are with the families of the victims,” Mullin stated on social media, detailing the suspect’s alleged criminal background without clarifying whether those incidents occurred before his citizenship was approved.
Police believe at least the male victim was chosen completely at random, while investigators continue examining whether the two female victims were also selected arbitrarily.
The violence began around 1 a.m. Monday when the first victim was discovered with multiple bullet wounds near a Decatur-area restaurant, according to DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick during a press briefing. Despite being rushed to a medical facility, she succumbed to her injuries. Officials have not released her identity.
Approximately one hour later in Brookhaven, a suburban community roughly 12 miles northwest of the initial incident, a 49-year-old homeless individual sleeping outside a grocery store suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley reported. The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, continues fighting for his life in the hospital.
“It is apparent to us that it was a completely random attack on a member of our unhoused community,” Gurley explained.
The final assault occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in Panthersville, more than 10 miles from the second location, where responding officers discovered a woman suffering from both gunshot and knife wounds, Padrick confirmed. The victim, Bullis, was pronounced dead at the location. Brookhaven investigators later established connections between all three violent incidents, Gurley noted.
Bullis’s relatives honored her memory in a public statement, describing her as “selfless, kind and compassionate.”
“She deeply loved her family and found joy in running, reading and traveling,” the family expressed. “Her warmth and generosity touched everyone surrounding her.”
Law enforcement apprehended Adon Abel later Monday during a vehicle stop in Troup County, which shares a border with Alabama. Criminal charges against him include two malice murder counts, aggravated assault, and weapons violations, according to court documentation.
Adon Abel declined to appear at his initial court hearing Tuesday. No legal representative is currently listed in court files who could comment on his case.
Mullin, who assumed leadership of DHS last month following Kristi Noem’s dismissal, revealed in his statement that Adon Abel possesses a criminal history including a sexual battery conviction, though he did not specify the conviction date. Digital court records indicate someone named Adon Olaolukitan, sharing the same birthdate as Adon Abel, entered guilty pleas last June in Chatham County, Georgia, to four misdemeanor sexual battery charges.
The secretary emphasized that since President Donald Trump’s administration began, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, operating under DHS oversight, has strengthened efforts to prevent individuals with criminal backgrounds from obtaining citizenship. However, the United States has historically prohibited most violent felons from achieving citizenship status, and officials have not immediately clarified whether Adon Abel possessed any disqualifying criminal record prior to his 2022 citizenship approval.
DHS officials have not yet responded to requests for additional information.
