A loving father with a budding family. A dedicated department of homeland security personnel. A mother with a preteen.
These are the people who lost their lives last week after a massacre in the Atlanta suburbs that devastated three families.
On April 13, 40-year-old Lauren Bullis, 31-year-old Prianna Weathers and 48-year-old Tony Matthews were shot within hours of each other as they went about their daily activities.
Based on surveillance footage and license plate readers, authorities have said they believe one man, 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel of Atlanta, shot all three victims highlighted by the Trump administration.
Bullis and Weathers died instantly from their injuries. Matthews was hospitalized for six days until he died on April 19.
Matthews was part of a large family as one of four siblings – and he was also starting a family of his own.
He and his wife had a daughter last year, his sister-in-law Miranda Matthews told CNN, and he recently brought his three stepchildren from Uganda, where their mother is from. She was working to get the children’s visas, but that process is on hold now that her family has lost a loving father and husband, she said.
Tony Matthews was someone who helped anyone, she said. The birth of her daughter, who will be 1 in June, was an incredibly special moment for her, said her brother Michael Matthews.
“He was so happy. It made him a better person, and he was already a great person,” he said.
Police had previously said Tony Matthews was out of the house, but his family said he was not, saying he did not have his ID with him when he was found shot outside a Brookhaven grocery store in the early hours of April 13.
When his condition worsened, his daughter was there to say goodbye, a moment the family recorded so she would have memories of her doting father, Miranda Matthews said. The family is currently collecting funds for his funeral.
Bullis brought joy and kindness to his neighborhood
During his employment at DHS, Bullis was known as a dedicated employee and “committed to public service,” according to his obituary.
But she was also an intrepid explorer who traveled the world and brought happiness to friends near and far.
“You can’t meet her and be her friend,” fellow DHS auditor Ashley Tolian told The Associated Press. “She was the nicest, sweetest, most encouraging person I’ve ever met.”
Lauren Bullis poses for a photo at Green Meadows Preserve in Cobb County, Georgia in 2025 – Sunisa Kim Kipp via AP
Bullis was a beloved fixture in her neighborhood—often seen jogging, tending to her French bulldog, Sancho, or the flowers she planted in her yard.
He “embraced the sport of running with great passion, running 5k, 10k and half marathons across the country,” his obituary said. “When visiting loved ones, Lauren always asked for a spare key so she could get miles without waking her hosts.”
Just last month, Bullis completed her first marathon in Atlanta.
“She’s very athletic,” neighbor Portia Powell said. “If she’s not walking the dog, she’s running.”
Powell formed a strong friendship with Bullis in recent years, bonding over their shared love of gardening.
“He’s always, ‘Hey, Miss Portia, how are you?’…very outgoing and friendly,” Powell said.
Bullis was shot and stabbed while walking her dog in Panthersville — an unincorporated community about 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta — and her death “had a huge impact on the neighborhood,” Powell said. “I think it will make us all more aware of what’s going on in the neighborhood and look out for each other.”
Crime scene tape marks the area near the site where Lauren Bullis was killed. – RJ Rico/AP
The tragedy devastated colleagues in the DHS Office of Inspector General, where Bullis was an auditor and team leader, the agency said.
“Lauren approached her work with integrity, thoughtfulness and a commitment to excellence that strengthened our organization and the communities we serve,” DHS said. “She brought a genuine sense of warmth, kindness and caring to her colleagues every day.”
Bullis’ husband, stepdaughter, parents and siblings are now united in grief, robbed of their generous, cheerful, globe-trotting beacon of light.
“She put the needs of others before her own, caring for sick friends and the simply overindulged many times over the years. She was very funny, a great host, respectful, humble, and riotously funny,” Bullis’ obituary says.
Lauren loved to travel alone or with others to far-flung places, including Egypt, Peru, Greece, Spain, Ireland and France, among others,’ it said. “She was forever planning her next trip.”
Another victim’s family is quietly grieving in North Carolina
As the string of attacks shakes communities across Georgia, Prianna Weathers’ mother is grieving privately in her home in North Carolina.
“It was a senseless death,” she told CNN. “All these people he killed … these were innocent people. He had no reason to harm them. They wouldn’t do anything to him.”
Weathers was killed in Decatur, where she was born 31 years ago, her mother said.
She asked not to be identified to protect the privacy of Mausam’s 12-year-old son, whom she suddenly raised and who must grow up without his mother.
There is no apparent connection between the victim and the suspect
It is unclear why the three were attacked, and investigators are investigating whether the attacks were random.
Bullis’ employment at DHS and Adon Abel’s status as a naturalized citizen have raised questions — and criticism from the agency — about crimes the suspect committed after becoming a U.S. citizen.
Don Plummer of the Georgia Public Defender Council declined to elaborate on the suspect’s case or background.
“We understand the intense public attention surrounding this case, but Mr. Abel has the same constitutional rights as other accused persons, and our job is to protect those rights in court,” he told CNN.
“This is a tragic and serious case. Nothing about protecting constitutional rights will diminish it. Indeed, the rule of law is most important when emotions run high and allegations are most serious.”
Adon Abel, a native of the United Kingdom, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, DHS said.
The naturalization process often takes years, and it’s unclear whether the bulk of Adon Abel’s processing took place during the first Trump administration or the Biden administration. DHS did not respond to CNN’s questions about the suspect’s naturalization timeline.
Olaolukitan Adon Abel of Atlanta faces charges including two counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanor murder. – DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office
DHS blamed the previous administration for Adon Abel’s naturalization, describing the suspect as a “monster” in a Facebook post.
The agency also said Adon Abel was convicted of multiple felonies, including sexual battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Court records show that the defendant, listed as Adon Olaolukitan, pleaded guilty to four counts of misdemeanor sexual battery for the 2025 incident in Georgia and was sentenced to 48 months of probation.
Another court filing shows he pleaded guilty in 2024 to felony assault with a deadly weapon “other than a firearm on a police officer or firefighter” in California. That record notes that the suspect’s name may also appear as Olaolukitan Adon Abel or Adon Olaolukitan.
Records show some other charges, but those cases were dismissed.
The Public Defender’s Council criticized DHS’s characterization of the suspect.
“It is irresponsible and troubling for public officials to label an accused person a ‘monster’ before they are tried,” Plummer said. “Such language may be politically convenient, but it is corrosive to the fundamental right to due process and a fair trial.”
Adon Abel was taken into custody April 13 during a traffic stop in Troup County, Georgia, which borders Alabama. According to the police, he is now facing several charges, including aggravated murder, felonious assault and possession of a weapon. After Matthews’ death, police said they were looking to add another charge of malice murder.
CNN’s Chris Boyett reported from Decatur, Georgia; Holly Yan reports and writes from Atlanta; and Taylor Romine reported and wrote from Los Angeles. CNN’s Sneha Dhandapani, Ryan Young, Jason Morris and Lindsey Knight contributed to this report.
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