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ATLANTA (AP) — A suspect linked to a series of deadly shootings in the Atlanta area, which claimed the lives of three individuals, including a Homeland Security employee out walking her dog, was found dead in jail on Tuesday night, according to authorities.
Olaolukitan Adon Abel, aged 26, was discovered unresponsive in his jail cell, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office reported. Despite emergency efforts to revive the U.S. Navy veteran, he was declared deceased shortly thereafter.
While the exact cause of death is still under investigation, the sheriff’s office indicated that foul play is not suspected, and an internal review is underway.
Adon Abel faced charges in the murders of Prianna Weathers, 31, and Lauren Bullis, 40, a DHS auditor, in last week’s violent incidents. Authorities had been preparing to add a murder charge for Tony Mathews, 49, who succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
The motive behind the shootings remains a mystery, and it is unclear whether Adon Abel had any prior connection to the victims. Police have suggested that at least one of the attacks might have been random.
Adon Abel’s roommates told The Associated Press 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.
The United Kingdom native was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022 while serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in the San Diego area.
The attacks quickly drew the Trump administration’s attention, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin raising concern that Adon Abel was granted U.S. citizenship when Democrat Joe Biden was president. Mullin cataloged a litany of Adon Abel’s previous alleged crimes, but it is unclear whether any of them occurred before he became a citizen.