A teenage suspect was arrested on a murder charge, among other counts, in connection with last week’s fatal shooting inside a Fayetteville Walmart, authorities said.
Fayetteville police said Adrian Jelks, 19, was arrested by one of their officers around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday after he turned himself in to the College Park Police Department. Jelks had been on the run for nearly five days after the gunfire Friday night left 19-year-old Antavius Holton dead and a 9-year-old girl injured, police said.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as our department worked diligently to locate Jelks,” Fayetteville police said. “Although Jelks has been arrested, further details cannot be released, as the integrity of the investigation is of the utmost importance.”
At around 10 p.m. Friday, officers responded to the Walmart but determined Jelks had fled the scene. Police said his vehicle was located abandoned nearby.
The gunfire, which was not believed to be random, occurred just inside the entrance of the store on Pavilion Parkway. Holton was struck and later died, while the girl was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being grazed by a bullet, according to authorities.
“Thankfully, the 9-year-old shooting victim is expected to make a full recovery and has been released from the hospital,” police said Wednesday.
Officials told Channel 2 Action News that Jelks was a Walmart employee.
A surveillance photo of him wearing a Walmart vest was released early Saturday during the manhunt. He was booked into the Fayette County jail around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday on charges of murder and aggravated assault, according to online records.
Credit: Fayetteville police
Credit: Fayetteville police
Another 19-year-old, Sandra Romero-Nunez, was arrested and booked into the county jail Saturday on the same charges as Jelks, though her role in the shooting has not been provided by police.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact Fayetteville police at 770-461-4441 or 770-461-4357.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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