A suspect was arrested in Georgia on Friday after he allegedly shot and killed a correctional officer in a parking lot earlier this week.
Gwinnett County police said 22-year-old Yahya Abdulkadir was taken into custody in the city of Lithonia around 1:30 p.m. Friday. He is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the murder of 59-year-old senior correctional officer Scott Riner.
The shooting occurred Tuesday morning around 6:20 a.m. in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Correctional Center. Riner and Abdulkadir were allegedly involved in a confrontation as the officer was on his way to work, according to investigators.
GEORGIA CORRECTIONS OFFICER SHOT, KILLED AT GWINNETT CORRECTIONAL CENTER
Gwinnett County Police said 22-year-old Yahya Abdulkadir was taken into custody in the city of Lithonia around 1:30 p.m. Friday.
(Gwinnett County Police)
Police released surveillance video of the incident and said the footage shows the suspect, who has since been identified as Abdulkadir, had been in the area for an extended period before the shooting. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the area on foot.
Investigators never discovered a motive for the shooting.
“It does not appear that the officer and Mr. Abdulkadir knew each other, but as we progress in this investigation, that could change,” said Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Jennifer Richter told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Senior Correctional Officer Scott Riner was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Correctional Center on Tuesday.
(Gwinnett County Police)
The US Marshal’s Office, ATF, the Gwinnett Sheriff’s Department, and the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office provided assistance in this case. Abdulkadir will be sent back to Gwinnett County and booked into the Gwinnett Detention Center.
Riner had worked at the correctional facility for about 10 years. He was a father and grandfather who, according to authorities, was loved and respected by the guards and inmates at the facility.
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Yahya Abdulkadir is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault, Gwinnett County police said.
(Gwinnett County Police)
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“My prayers really are with his family. I want his family to know that he was our family too and we’re going to get through this together,” said Capt. Audrey Henderson, who worked with Riner.
