Atlanta Serial Attacks Leave 2 Dead, 1 Injured, Including Homeland Security Employee
A man is suspected of launching a series of attacks in Atlanta within hours, resulting in two deaths and one person critically injured. One victim, a Department of Homeland Security employee, was attacked while walking her dog, drawing attention from the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin expressed concern over the suspect's US citizenship, obtained in 2022. The suspect, Olaolukitan Adon Abel, has a prior record, including a guilty plea in 2024 for assaulting police officers. Authorities are investigating whether the attacks were random.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 11:32
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 12:01 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 12:14 (13 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Atlanta, April 15th, Reuters) - A man in Atlanta is suspected of carrying out a series of attacks within hours, resulting in the deaths of two women and one man critically injured. One of the victims was a Department of Homeland Security employee attacked while walking her dog, drawing attention from the Trump administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a statement on social media expressing concern over the 26-year-old British defendant Olaolukitan Adon Abel's acquisition of U.S. citizenship in 2022, during the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden.
Mullin stated in his social media post: "These extremely evil acts have deeply struck our department, and I pray for the victims' families." Mullin listed several prior crimes the defendant was accused of but did not specify whether these crimes occurred before he obtained citizenship.
Court records show that Abel's name is spelled in various ways in court and government records. He pleaded guilty in California in October 2024 to charges of assaulting two police officers and attacking another person while stationed at Naval Base Coronado.
Regarding the recent serial attacks, authorities stated they believe at least one victim was a random target – the injured man – and they are still investigating whether the other victims were also randomly targeted.
The first attack occurred around 1 AM on April 13th near a restaurant in the Decatur area, where the female victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds. She died after being taken to the hospital. Police have not yet released her identity, according to the DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick.
About an hour later, in another Atlanta suburb, Brookhaven, about 19 kilometers northwest of the first attack site, the local Police Chief Brandon Gurley stated that a 49-year-old homeless man sleeping outside a grocery store was shot multiple times. The man's name has not yet been released, and he is currently in critical condition in the hospital.
Gurley said, "For us, this was clearly a random attack completely targeting the homeless population."
Padrick stated that shortly before 7 AM, in the suburb of Panthersville, about 16 kilometers away, police responded to a report and found a woman with gunshot and stab wounds. This woman was identified as Bullis, and she died at the scene. Gurley noted that Brookhaven investigators determined these three attacks were related.
Suspect Abel was subsequently arrested on the evening of the 13th in Troup County, bordering Alabama, during a traffic stop. Court records show he has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, aggravated assault, and firearm-related offenses. He waived his right to an initial court appearance on the 14th. Court records do not indicate whether he has legal representation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted on social media that Bullis held various positions in the Office of Inspector General, including auditor in the Audit Division and team leader in the Innovation Division, calling her someone who "brought warmth, kindness, and sincere care to her colleagues every day."
Mullin, who took over the Department of Homeland Security after Kristi Noem was fired last month, stated in his announcement that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, has been committed since President Trump took office to preventing individuals with criminal records from obtaining citizenship. However, the U.S. has long prohibited individuals who commit most violent felonies from obtaining citizenship. It is unclear whether Abel, or the same person Olaolukitan, had a criminal record before becoming a citizen in 2022. (Compiled by: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150416
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(Atlanta, April 15th, Reuters) - A man in Atlanta is suspected of carrying out a series of attacks within hours, resulting in the deaths of two women and one man critically injured. One of the victims was a Department of Homeland Security employee attacked while walking her dog, drawing attention from the Trump administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a statement on social media expressing concern over the 26-year-old British defendant Olaolukitan Adon Abel's acquisition of U.S. citizenship in 2022, during the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden.
Mullin stated in his social media post: "These extremely evil acts have deeply struck our department, and I pray for the victims' families." Mullin listed several prior crimes the defendant was accused of but did not specify whether these crimes occurred before he obtained citizenship.
Court records show that Abel's name is spelled in various ways in court and government records. He pleaded guilty in California in October 2024 to charges of assaulting two police officers and attacking another person while stationed at Naval Base Coronado.
Regarding the recent serial attacks, authorities stated they believe at least one victim was a random target – the injured man – and they are still investigating whether the other victims were also randomly targeted.
The first attack occurred around 1 AM on April 13th near a restaurant in the Decatur area, where the female victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds. She died after being taken to the hospital. Police have not yet released her identity, according to the DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick.
About an hour later, in another Atlanta suburb, Brookhaven, about 19 kilometers northwest of the first attack site, the local Police Chief Brandon Gurley stated that a 49-year-old homeless man sleeping outside a grocery store was shot multiple times. The man's name has not yet been released, and he is currently in critical condition in the hospital.
Gurley said, "For us, this was clearly a random attack completely targeting the homeless population."
Padrick stated that shortly before 7 AM, in the suburb of Panthersville, about 16 kilometers away, police responded to a report and found a woman with gunshot and stab wounds. This woman was identified as Bullis, and she died at the scene. Gurley noted that Brookhaven investigators determined these three attacks were related.
Suspect Abel was subsequently arrested on the evening of the 13th in Troup County, bordering Alabama, during a traffic stop. Court records show he has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, aggravated assault, and firearm-related offenses. He waived his right to an initial court appearance on the 14th. Court records do not indicate whether he has legal representation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted on social media that Bullis held various positions in the Office of Inspector General, including auditor in the Audit Division and team leader in the Innovation Division, calling her someone who "brought warmth, kindness, and sincere care to her colleagues every day."
Mullin, who took over the Department of Homeland Security after Kristi Noem was fired last month, stated in his announcement that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, has been committed since President Trump took office to preventing individuals with criminal records from obtaining citizenship. However, the U.S. has long prohibited individuals who commit most violent felonies from obtaining citizenship. It is unclear whether Abel, or the same person Olaolukitan, had a criminal record before becoming a citizen in 2022. (Compiled by: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150416
Stand with the facts, your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom
Download the CNA "One-stop News" APP to get the latest news in real-time
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.