Georgia suspect arrested in connection with killing of correctional officer

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 Yahya Abdulkadir, 22, was taken into custody in the town of Lithonia at around 1:30 p.m. on 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 Gwinnett Correctional Center parking lot. Riner and Abdulkadir allegedly were involved in a confrontation as the officer was heading into work, according to investigators.

GEORGIA CORRECTIONS OFFICER KILLED IN SHOOTING AT GWINNETT CORRECTIONAL CENTER

Gwinnett County Police said Yahya Abdulkadir, 22, was taken into custody in the town of Lithonia at around 1:30 p.m. on 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 of time before the shooting. After the shooting, the suspect fled the area on foot.

Investigators never discovered a motive for the shooting.

“It doesn’t appear that the officer and Mr. Abdulkadir knew each other, but as we go further in this investigation, that could change,” Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Jennifer Richter told FOX 5 Atlanta.

Senior Correctional Officer Scott Riner was shot and killed in the Gwinnett Correctional Center parking lot on Tuesday.
(Gwinnett County Police)

The U.S. Marshall’s Office, ATF, 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 been employed at the correctional facility for around 10 years. He was a father and grandfather who officials say was well-liked and respected by guards and prisoners 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 go out to his family.  I want his family to know that he was our family as well, and we are going to get through this together,” Captain Audrey Henderson, who worked with Riner, said.