Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, of Atlanta, was arrested Monday afternoon April 13 2026 in Troup County during a felony traffic stop after authorities linked him to a rapid shooting spree earlier that morning across DeKalb County and Brookhaven that left two women dead and a 49-year-old homeless man critically injured.
Brookhaven police and DeKalb County police announced the arrest at a joint news conference crediting FLOCK camera data and multi-agency cooperation for the quick capture. Abel is charged with two counts of malice murder in DeKalb County, aggravated assault in Brookhaven, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony with additional charges expected.
The spree began around 1:30 a.m. when Abel allegedly fired multiple rounds from a silver Volkswagen Jetta rental vehicle at a 49-year-old homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk outside the Kroger in Cherokee Plaza Shopping Center at 3871 Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.
The victim suffered gunshot wounds to the abdomen and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he remains in critical condition. Brookhaven police responded quickly to the scene at the busy shopping plaza and began piecing together surveillance that later connected the vehicle to the other shootings.
Within hours Abel is believed to have carried out two separate fatal shootings in DeKalb County. One woman was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road and later died at the hospital. A second woman was killed in another DeKalb location with authorities confirming both homicides were random and unconnected to the victims. The rapid sequence of violence spanned jurisdictions and prompted an urgent multi-agency response that ultimately led to Abel’s arrest in Troup County.
Abel was taken into custody without incident during the traffic stop in Troup County after law enforcement tracked the suspect vehicle using license plate readers and inter-agency alerts. He faces a growing list of charges as investigators continue to review evidence from all three crime scenes. No motive has been publicly released but officials described the shootings as random and unprovoked. The suspect remains in custody as the case moves forward through the court system.
The Brookhaven and DeKalb County communities have expressed shock and sorrow following the deadly shooting spree that claimed two women’s lives and left a man fighting for his life at the Cherokee Plaza Kroger on Peachtree Road. Residents in the affected neighborhoods have voiced concern over the random nature of the violence while local leaders have called for continued vigilance. Support has poured in for the victims’ families and the injured man as the region processes the events of April 13, 2026.
