The man accused of carrying out a deadly string of seemingly random shootings in the Atlanta suburbs, including the killing of a Department of Homeland Security employee walking her dog, has died in jail before authorities could determine a motive.
Investigators have not identified a motive and said it remains unclear whether the suspect knew any of the victims. Police believe at least one of the attacks may have been random.
Roommates told The Associated Press that shortly before the shootings, Adon Abel argued over the air conditioning at their shared home and stormed out.
The timeline of the terror began at approximately 12:50 a.m. April 13, when DeKalb County Police discovered Weathers shot multiple times in the Decatur area.
The violence then shifted to Brookhaven, where Mathews was ambushed and shot several times outside a business center.
The spree reached a horrific conclusion around 6:50 a.m. in Panthersville, a community south of Decatur, where Bullis was found both shot and stabbed. Witnesses, police said, reported seeing a man standing over her before he fled the scene.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed Wednesday that Bullis was "brutally shot and stabbed to death," identifying the suspect as Adon Abel, who was naturalized in 2022 and had a record that included convictions for sexual battery, assault and battery against a police officer.
Adon Abel, originally from the United Kingdom, became a U.S. citizen in 2022 while serving in the Navy in San Diego.
The case has raised new questions about the federal government’s vetting process after DHS recently acknowledged significant screening gaps under former President Joe Biden.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Peter Pinedo, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.