A criminal immigrant accused of carrying out a shooting spree in Georgia that killed three people was found dead inside his jail cell.
Olaolukitan Adon-Abel, 26, was discovered unresponsive late on Tuesday night in his cell at a DeKalb County jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said life-saving measures were attempted, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of death has not yet been determined and an internal review is underway but officials say they do not currently suspect foul play.
The sudden death brings a dramatic turn in a case that had already stunned Georgia communities after a string of seemingly random and violent attacks.
Adon-Abel, originally from the United Kingdom, had been charged with multiple counts of murder following a series of shootings across DeKalb County earlier this month.
Authorities say the violence began shortly before 1am last Monday outside a Checkers restaurant, where a 31-year-old woman, identified as Prianna Weathers, was shot. She later died from her injuries.
Olaolukitan Adon-Abel, 26, was discovered unresponsive late on Tuesday night in his cell at a DeKalb County jail, according to the sheriff’s office
Roughly an hour later, Adon-Abel drove to a shopping area in Brookhaven, where he shot a 49-year-old homeless man multiple times as he slept outside a Kroger grocery store.
The man, identified by authorities as Tony Matthews, was sleeping outside the grocery store on Peachtree Road and initially survived but later died from his injuries.
Hours after that, the suspect carried out his most high-profile attack – the killing of Department of Homeland Security employee 40-year-old Lauren Bullis.
Bullis was out walking her dog in a quiet neighborhood near Decatur around 6:50am when she was shot and stabbed.
Neighbors reported hearing gunfire moments before she was found.
Her death sent shockwaves through federal agencies and prompted tributes from colleagues who described her as a dedicated public servant.
‘Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lauren was a bright spot for so many of the DHS community,’ a department spokesperson said previously.
‘She brought warmth, kindness, and a genuine sense of care to her colleagues each day.’
Abel murdered DHS employee Lauren Bullis, 40, last week while she was out walking her dog
The DHS remembered Bullis as a ‘bright spot’ in their agency and said she ‘approached her work with integrity, thoughtfulness, and a commitment to excellence’
The street where Lauren Bullis, a US Department of Homeland Security employee, was killed while walking her dog, northeast of Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia
Flowers lay on the ground near the site where Lauren Bullis was killed, in Decatur
This photo provided by Georgia’s Chatham County Sheriff’s Office shows Olaolukitan Adon Abel on April 20
According to investigators, the attacks appeared to be random, and no clear motive has been established.
Adon-Abel was arrested following a manhunt after authorities tracked his vehicle using surveillance cameras. He was facing multiple felony charges, including malice murder, aggravated assault and firearms offenses.
Officials have also pointed to his prior criminal history, which included convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism.
‘These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department, and my prayers are with the families of the victims,’ DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote last Wednesday on X that the string of attacks perpetuated by Abel were ‘pure evil’
The case also drew national attention due to Adon-Abel’s immigration status.
Authorities said he had entered the United States and later became a naturalized citizen in 2022 while serving in the US Navy.
It’s unclear if Adon Abel knew any of his victims – police have said they believe at least one was targeted at random.
Adon Abel’s roommates said that shortly before the shootings, he got in an intense argument over the air conditioning in their home and stormed out. He lived with six others in separate units of the home.
His death in custody now raises new questions on what led to his final moments behind bars.
