Mathews was shot on April 13 after Abel allegedly left his communal home following an intense argument with roommates over air conditioning, according to those roommates. The death highlights questions about Abel’s background, including previous criminal convictions in multiple states and his citizenship status—concerns that have drawn recent scrutiny from federal officials.
Tony Mathews, a 49-year-old homeless man, died from injuries sustained in a series of attacks across the Atlanta area, authorities said. The death marks the third fatality in the spree as police seek an additional murder charge against Adon Abel, a 26-year-old U.S. Navy veteran accused in the attacks.
The Attacks
Mathews was shot outside a supermarket in Brookhaven, about 12 miles northwest of Abel’s home, around 2 a.m. on April 13, police said. He was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries on Sunday.
Prianna Weathers, 31, was shot outside a Decatur fast food restaurant around 12:50 a.m., about 5 miles from Abel’s home, authorities said. Hours later, around 7 a.m., Lauren Bullis, an auditor for the Department of Homeland Security, was found with gunshot and stab wounds a few hundred feet from where Abel lived, police said.
The Investigation
Georgia State Patrol troopers stopped Abel’s vehicle around 11 a.m. on April 13 in Troup County, near the Georgia-Alabama line. Inside the car, investigators found ammunition and shell casings matching those recovered at the scene where Weathers was shot, authorities said. Police recovered the gun and additional shell casings found on the ground near Bullis.
Abel faces two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, and gun offenses in Georgia state court. He also faces a federal firearms charge. Another man is accused of illegally purchasing the gun used in the attacks. Abel could not legally buy a firearm himself because of a prior felony conviction.
Background and Scrutiny
Authorities have not publicly identified a motive for the attacks. Police said they believe at least one of the victims was targeted at random.
Abel’s criminal history spans multiple states. In October 2024, he pleaded guilty in San Diego County, California, to assault with a deadly weapon and criminal vandalism related to an attack on two police officers and another person. Court records show that someone with the same name and birth date pleaded guilty in June 2024 in Chatham County, Georgia, to four misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
Abel, a native of the United Kingdom, was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022 while serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in the San Diego area. The citizenship grant has drawn scrutiny from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who raised concerns that Abel was naturalized during the Biden administration. Mullin catalogued a series of Abel’s prior alleged crimes, though it remains unclear whether any of these incidents occurred before he became a citizen.