Akeela Clarke,Ryan Bradley Obituary, Death; – Two individuals lost their lives on Friday morning following an incident in which a man discharged a firearm inside a Walmart in Covington and at a nearby residence, according to law enforcement officials.
Newton County deputies responded to the Walmart Supercenter on Salem Road around 1:30 a.m. The store was closed to the public, with only employees present inside, as reported by authorities.
“From what we understand, all four individuals involved were employees at Walmart and were acquainted with one another,” stated Newton County Sgt. Jack Redlinger. Deputies revealed that one of the employees, 24-year-old Dwayne Eduh, exited the store, retrieved a firearm, and re-entered to fatally shoot another employee.
Eduh allegedly encountered another employee outside the Walmart and shot him as well. This individual was subsequently transported to the hospital in critical condition. Eduh then reportedly traveled approximately two miles to a residence on Emerson Trail, where he broke in and fatally shot a woman, who was also identified as a co-worker.
The sheriff’s office confirmed the identities of the deceased as Khalaf Barksdale, 21, from Conyers, and Akeela Clarke, 19, from Covington. Ryan Bradley, 29, from Covington, was taken to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition. “This was not an active shooter situation,” the sheriff’s office clarified in a statement. “The suspect specifically targeted individuals he knew.”
Eduh was located and apprehended in Aiken, South Carolina, approximately 150 miles east of Covington. During a standoff with Aiken County deputies on I-20, he reportedly shot himself and was subsequently hospitalized, where he remains in critical condition. Fortunately, no deputies were harmed during the incident.
In an online fundraiser for Clarke’s memorial service, her sister expressed, “Akeela was one of the most vibrant and joyful individuals you could ever meet, and this tragedy will leave an enduring wound in our family. No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone witness their death.”
Walmart issued a statement expressing their heartbreak over the events. “There’s no place for violence in our stores,” the statement read. “We are focused on supporting our associates and their families during this difficult time.”
This isn’t the first time the Covington Walmart has seen violence between employees. In October, two men were arrested after deputies said they fired shots at each other during an argument in the store’s parking lot.
