Suspect in three DeKalb murders found dead in cell, investigation underway

Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a former Navy veteran accused of killing three people during a random shooting spree on April 13 across DeKalb County, has died in custody.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Abel, housed at the DeKalb County Jail, died on April 21 while in custody.

“Olaolukitan Adon Abel was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 6:48 p.m.,” the statement said. “Detention staff immediately notified medical personnel, and lifesaving measures were initiated. Despite those efforts, he was pronounced deceased at the jail at 7:17 p.m.”

“In accordance with agency policy, a standard internal review has been initiated to examine the circumstances surrounding this incident,” the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department statement continued. “The official cause of death will be determined by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office. At this time, there is no indication of criminal activity or foul play.”

Random shootings in DeKalb

Abel, 26, is accused of killing three people, including a Department of Homeland Security employee who was walking her dog in Panthersville, a woman outside a fast-food restaurant in Decatur, and a homeless man at the Brookhaven Kroger on Peachtree Road.

Days after being shot multiple times, the Kroger victim, Tony E. Matthews, 48, of Atlanta, succumbed to his injuries.

Abel was apprehended in Troup County while driving a rental car, authorities said. Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley told the city council at its regular meeting that surveillance tools, like Flock Security cameras and license plate readers, led to Abel’s swift apprehension.

Abel had a violent criminal history

According to a statement by the United States Attorney General’s North Georgia office on April 17, troopers searching Abel’s car in Troup County found a box of 9mm ammunition and shell casings matching the same brand of ammunition found at the murder scene in Decatur.

The statement also provided details on Abel’s criminal history.

“Abel was previously convicted of a felony for Assault of a Police Officer with a Deadly Weapon on January 2, 2025, in the Superior Court of San Diego County, California, and he was sentenced to probation in June 2025 for four counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in the Recorder’s Court of Chatham County, Georgia,” the statement said.

Abel had been charged with three counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for the DeKalb County shootings.

He was facing further prosecution, along with another man, Damon Marquis Yarns, for illegally obtaining the 9mm pistol, which was found at the scene of the Decatur shooting.

The agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, was leading the investigation, along with the DeKalb County Police Department, Brookhaven Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the statement said.

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