A U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee was one of two women killed during this week’s DeKalb County shooting spree that injured a third person, the federal agency confirmed Wednesday.
Lauren Bullis, 40, was walking her dog in a residential area off Flat Shoals Road just north of I-285 when she was fatally shot and stabbed Monday, DeKalb police said. DHS confirmed Bullis worked in multiple roles at the Office of Inspector General, including as an auditor in the Office of Audits and as a team leader in the Office of Innovation.
“Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lauren was a bright spot for so many of the DHS community. She brought warmth, kindness, and a genuine sense of care to her colleagues each day,” said a DHS statement provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She was the kind of person who made others feel valued and supported, and her presence will be deeply missed.”
Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was arrested in connection with Bullis’ death as well as the earlier fatal shooting of another woman and the injury of a man, law enforcement said. He faces two counts of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime.
He remains in the DeKalb jail. Court records do not yet list his attorney, and Abel waived his first appearance hearing Tuesday.
He was born in the United Kingdom and became a naturalized citizen in 2022, according to DHS.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
DeKalb police have said they are trying to determine if Abel knew the victims. Brookhaven police confirmed the man, wounded while sleeping in front of a grocery store, was randomly attacked.
Bullis was an avid runner who participated in the 2026 Publix Atlanta Marathon, the Atlanta Track Club said. Spokesperson Natalie Cabanas said the track club was saddened to hear about her death, though she added the staff did not know her personally.
Supporters launched a GoFundMe campaign for Bullis’ husband that had raised nearly $10,000 by noon Wednesday.
According to an arrest warrant, Bullis was walking her dog just before 7 a.m. when Abel passed her in a silver Volkswagen Jetta and shortly after attacked her.
Officials said she was the last of three to be shot during the alleged spree, which began around 12:50 a.m. when a woman was shot 14 times outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road. She was identified by the county’s medical examiner’s office as 31-year-old Prianna Weathers.
Soon after, around 2 a.m., Brookhaven police officers received a call about a man shot in front of a Kroger at the Cherokee Plaza along Peachtree Road.
Abel was arrested Monday afternoon in Troup County.
DHS, in its statement, touted President Donald Trump’s immigration efforts since the Joe Biden administration “to ensure individuals with criminal histories and who otherwise lack good moral character do not attain citizenship.” The agency cited increased efforts to vet immigration applications.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin shared a similar statement on X.
Abel has prior convictions in Savannah and California, but they came after he became a citizen, court documents show.
In June, he pleaded guilty in a Chatham County courtroom to four counts of sexual battery. He was subsequently sentenced to probation, banned from entering Savannah for four years and ordered to obtain a psychosexual social evaluation, documents show.
The charges stemmed from four instances where Abel “intentionally” touched “the intimate parts” of four women without their consent on April 20, 2025, according to court documents.
In total, five sexual assault calls came in within nearly an hour involving a suspect matching the same description, and four victims wanted to press charges, an incident report from the Savannah Police Department says. During his arrest in Savannah, officers found a knife in Abel’s sweatshirt pocket, police said.
In October 2024, Abel was convicted in California. According to court records out of San Diego County, he pleaded guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm on a police officer or firefighter and felony vandalism. He was sentenced to probation.
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