A Walmart employee fatally shot two colleagues and critically injured another in a deliberate attack early Friday morning, April 11, in Covington, Georgia, authorities reported.
The incident started around 1:30 a.m. at a Walmart Supercenter in Covington, southeast of Atlanta, while the store was closed to the public but staffed by employees inside.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office indicated that the suspect, Dwayne Eduh, a Covington resident employed at Walmart, left the premises, retrieved a handgun, and returned to shoot coworker Khalaf Barksdale, 21, fatally.
The shooter then encountered another employee outside the store, shooting and injuring him critically. The injured employee, Ryan Bradley, 29, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” the Newton County Sheriff’s Office stated. “The suspect specifically targeted individuals they knew.”
After the store shootings, Eduh, 24, traveled two miles to a colleague’s home, breaking in by kicking down the door and fatally shooting 19-year-old Akeela Clarke.
Family members informed local media that Clarke was killed in front of her mother as her sister hid. The connections between the shooter and the victims remain partially unexplained, though authorities described them as “acquaintances” of the suspect.
Clarke’s mother, Samantha Clarke, explained that her family moved from New York for a better life. Her daughter worked at Walmart and studied nursing online, aspiring to help others.
After the attacks, Eduh fled Georgia, driving 150 miles east on Interstate 20 into South Carolina. Law enforcement tracked him to Aiken, South Carolina.
Sergeant Jack Redlinger confirmed that Georgia and South Carolina state patrols, along with local police, collaborated to capture the suspect. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol arrested him at about 3:55 a.m.
“This is still an active investigation,” Redlinger informed local media.
During the arrest, Eduh engaged in a brief standoff with law enforcement before shooting himself. He was taken to a hospital, where he died on Sunday afternoon. No officers were injured.
The motive for the shootings has not been disclosed by police.
According to various sources, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, aided by Aiken County investigators in South Carolina.
Walmart expressed distress over the events. In a press statement, the company announced the temporary closure of the store during the ongoing investigation.
A spokesperson for Walmart conveyed the company’s heartbreak over the incident, emphasizing that violence is unacceptable in their stores, as reported.
The preliminary investigation confirmed that only employees were in the store at the time, as it was closed to the public overnight.
Newton County deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers responded to the crime scenes in Covington, securing both the Walmart location and the house where the shootings occurred.
This is not the first violent occurrence at the Covington Walmart. In October, two men were arrested for allegedly exchanging gunfire in the parking lot after a dispute.
The sheriff’s department confirmed that Eduh knew all the victims, stressing these were targeted attacks rather than random acts of violence.
Local residents expressed shock at the violence within their community. The Walmart Supercenter on Salem Road is a major retailer for the area, with many familiar with the employees.
Authorities continue to piece together the timeline and circumstances of the shootings. More details will be released as the investigation unfolds.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled a press conference to update the public on the case and address community concerns.
