DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Officials said an off-duty Dekalb County deputy fired his gun at a man after seeing him shoot another man near a Publix entrance.
An argument ensued just before 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the store. As both parties got closer to the entrance, the argument escalated and another man shot the victim Robert Thomas.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials say the deputy shot at the man who shot Thomas, but did not hit him. Officials say he left the scene, but was later arrested and questioned by DKPD.
Thomas was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he is reportedly in serious, but stable condition.
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Customers reacted to the shooting at the Publix off Hugh Howell Road in Tucker.
“It is shocking,” said Jennifer Holbrooks, who often shops at the store. “I come here for the serenity and peace.”
Holbrooks told Channel 2′s Larry Spruill a shooting in this area was unexpected.
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“It is not what I expected to hear,” she said.
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On Tuesday, the front door of the grocery store was boarded up.
“It’s a shame you can’t even go grocery shopping anymore,” Holbrooks said. “You want all of those people, who are in positions to protect us, you want them to be safe.”
Publix released this statement about the incident:
“We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation and are working closely with local law enforcement of DeKalb County on this case.”
DKPD is conducting the investigation of the shooting incident between the man and Thomas, GBI officials said.
Once complete, the case file will be turned over to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office for review.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said that GBI determined that the shooting was justified. The GBI said their investigation is still ongoing and once it is complete, it will be handed over to the DA’s office. This has been corrected.
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