An argument in the parking lot of a crowded metro Atlanta Walmart got physical before it turned deadly, according to police.
Snellville police and Gwinnett County’s district attorney have released new details in the Sunday night shooting that killed Fadil Delkic, 49, of Lawrenceville. Troy Hunte, 27, of Grayson, faces a charge of voluntary manslaughter in connection with his death. Authorities also explained the rationale behind the current charges against Hunte, who had a brief first appearance court hearing Tuesday afternoon.
He is being held in the Gwinnett County jail without bond.
Witnesses at the Walmart on Scenic Highway in Snellville told Channel 2 Action News it appeared the men were arguing over a parking space when a shot rang out just before 6 p.m. Sunday. Police later said Hunte’s fiancee, who has not been identified, began arguing with Delkic over how close his car came to her as she walked through the parking lot.
Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said the same thing during a Tuesday morning interview.
“It appears from the review of the evidence and the statements of the witnesses that the defendant and his girlfriend were coming out of the Walmart store and crossing in the crosswalk, where the victim slightly pulled into the white striped lines,” Porter said. “... And that’s what initiated everything.”
“I believe that the defendant and his girlfriend crossed out of the crosswalk and turned back, and at that point the victim got out of the car,” Porter added.
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Snellville police Lt. J. McKinney said in a statement that the argument between Hunte, Hunte’s fiancee and Delkic turned physical “when Mr. Hunte’s fiancee struck Mr. Delkic in the face.”
Soon after, Hunte pulled a handgun from his pocket, McKinney said. Delkic was shot once in the chest.
The gunfire sent people running for cover inside and outside the store.
Delkic was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Family members told Channel 2 that Delkic was a Bosnian refugee who survived prison during the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
Investigators worked with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s office to decide on the voluntary manslaughter charge. According to an arrest warrant obtained by Channel 2, Hunte was provoked.
“Hunte killed Delkic under circumstances that would otherwise be murder, but accused acted solely as a result of a sudden, violent, and irresistible passion resulting from serious provocation,” police said in the warrant.
Delkic’s family, meanwhile, has insisted he did nothing to provoke the shooting — and Porter described the charges against Hunte as “fluid.”
“Now as we review the case and as we get all the evidence, and particularly since it appears that this entire incident was on video tape, we may change the charges,” Porter said.
The incident was caught on Walmart surveillance cameras, he said. At this point, any change in charges would likely come in the form of an indictment sought by Porter’s office.
The incident is still under investigation, McKinney said. Anyone who witnessed the shooting is asked to contact the Snellville Police Department at 770-985-3555 to provide a statement.
