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British-born man dies in jail after being charged with Atlanta area killings

The US Navy veteran is accused of killing two people and critically injuring another in a series of attacks in the Atlanta area.

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Officials tried to save Adon Abel, a US Navy veteran, but he was later pronounced dead
Officials tried to save Adon Abel, a US Navy veteran, but he was later pronounced dead. Picture: DeKalb County Police

By Ella Bennett

A British-born man suspected of killing three people in the US state of Georgia has died in jail.

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Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday evening local time, according to a statement from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials tried to save Adon Abel, a US Navy veteran, but he was later pronounced dead.

A cause of death was not given, and there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.

He had been charged with the murders of Lauren Bullis, an employee of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Prianna Weathers, following a spate of shootings near Atlanta that officials described as an “act of pure evil”.

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Lauren Bullis was killed earlier this month
Lauren Bullis was killed earlier this month. Picture: Social Media
The street where Lauren Bullis, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee, was killed while walking her dog
The street where Lauren Bullis, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee, was killed while walking her dog. Picture: Alamy

Police had been seeking an additional murder charge after Tony Matthews, who was injured in a shooting outside a shopping centre, died on Sunday.

US homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed Adon Abel received US citizenship in 2022.

He said following the killings: “A DHS employee, Lauren Bullis, was brutally shot and stabbed to death by Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old, born in the United Kingdom, who was naturalised by the Biden administration in 2022.

“He has also been arrested for the murder of an unidentified woman whom he reportedly shot outside a Checkers (a drive-through restaurant), before randomly shooting a homeless man multiple times outside a Kroger (a supermarket) in Brookhaven.

“These acts of pure evil have devastated our department and my prayers are with the families of the victims.”

The Brookhaven Police Department said the veteran had been taken into custody in Troup County, south west of Atlanta, following coordination with local detectives.