Man Sentenced in Grocery Store Killing of Ex-Wife’s Sister

A Georgia man will spend the rest of his life in prison after killing his former sister-in-law and shooting her brother at a Lilburn grocery store.

Teodros Mulat Shibeshi, 64, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of malice murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. The charges stem from the April 2024 shooting death of 57-year-old Tigist Lulesegud.

Lulesegud’s 65-year-old brother, Abebe D. Yeshetela, was also wounded when he was shot in the leg.

Shibeshi was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by an additional 25-year sentence, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.

“We hope this outcome can bring justice to Ms. Lulesegud’s family,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement.

The shooting happened on April 27, 2024, while Lulesegud and Yeshetela were working at Tana Food Mart on Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, a community about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. Shibeshi entered the Ethiopian grocery store, where a dispute escalated into a physical confrontation.

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Shibeshi then pulled out a gun and repeatedly shot Lulesegud. He continued firing even after she had fallen to the floor, according to the account of the incident.

The Lilburn Police Department said at the time that the three people had argued before the gunfire began.

A witness told authorities that Shibeshi said, “I am taking myself out now.” He then turned the gun toward himself and fired.

Shibeshi survived the attempted suicide.

His former sister-in-law was pronounced dead at the scene. Shibeshi and Yeshetela were both taken to a hospital for treatment of their gunshot wounds.

Shibeshi ultimately pleaded guilty to all of the charges, allowing him to avoid a trial, prosecutors said.