One of the victims was Lauren Bullis, 40, a DHS employee, whom Abel is accused of shooting and stabbing while she was walking her dog. Bullis was found dead around 6:50 AM on Monday in Battle Forrest Drive near Decatur, and neighbors reported hearing several gunshots between 6:30 and 7:00 AM. In separate incidents, a woman was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside a Checkers on Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur around 12:52 AM and later died at a hospital, and Abel shot a homeless man multiple times outside a Kroger grocery store in Brookhaven.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Abel's arrest was related to the murder of an unidentified woman outside a Checkers restaurant. Abel is from Britain and became a US citizen under Joe Biden's administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He has a criminal record including convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism, as stated by Mullin.
Since President Trump took office, USCIS has implemented measures to ensure individuals with criminal histories and who otherwise lack good moral character do not attain citizenship.
Police tracked Abel's rented Volkswagen Jetta using license plate recognition technology, leading to his arrest in Troup County. He faces charges including murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations, and waived his first court appearance. Investigators noted Abel had a prior 2015 sexual battery conviction and was on probation with a mental health evaluation mandate at the time of the attacks.
A GoFundMe has been launched to support Bullis' husband Jimmie, raising about $11,200 toward an $18,000 goal as of Wednesday. The motive behind the attacks remains unclear, and it is unknown how Abel obtained a firearm given his criminal record and probation status, or what specific mental health evaluation was mandated and whether it was completed. The identity of the woman killed outside the Checkers restaurant and the current condition of the homeless man shot outside Kroger have not been disclosed.
These acts of pure evil have devastated our Department and my prayers are with the families of the victims.