<p>An 81-year-old Navy veteran who was leaving a Walmart store on a mobility scooter was killed by a stray bullet in Gainesville, Georgia, on the evening of Wednesday, October 14, and police have arrested one teenager while searching for a second suspect, the Gainesville Police Department said. Police identified the victim as James Edward McDaniel, 81, of Lula, and said he was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the dispute that led to the shooting.</p><p>Investigators say a confrontation between two groups of males began inside the Walmart on Shallowford Road and spilled into the parking lot, where shots were fired at about 7 p.m. McDaniel was leaving the store at the opposite end of the parking lot when he was struck, and he died at the scene a short time later, according to police accounts reported by Now Georgia, AccessNorthGA and WGTJ Radio.</p><p>Early on Sunday, October 18, a Hall County SWAT team arrested Kamari Nehemiah Tilmuth, 18, of Gainesville, while executing a search warrant, police said. He is charged with felony murder, four counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Police say a second suspect, aged 17, faces the same charges and remains at large; officers have warned the public not to approach him and have asked anyone with information to call the Gainesville Police Department tip line at 770-533-5873. The charges are allegations and have not been adjudicated in court. The investigation involved the Gainesville Police Department, the Hall County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, according to AccessNorthGA.</p><p>“Our team is committed to working around the clock to identify and arrest everyone involved in this tragic homicide. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Mr. McDaniel's family and all those who have been deeply affected by this tragedy,” Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said. McDaniel's family told Atlanta News First (Gray News) that he enlisted in the US Navy shortly after turning 18, later served in the Navy Reserve and worked for the postal service for 23 years before retiring. He is survived by his wife, Gloria, his partner of nearly 60 years, and four children. Sources: Gainesville Police Department statements reported by Now Georgia (Oct. 20), AccessNorthGA (Oct. 18) and WGTJ Radio; family accounts reported by Atlanta News First / Gray News and Military.com (Oct. 20).</p>
81-Year-Old Navy Veteran Killed by Stray Bullet Outside Gainesville Walmart; Teen Arrested, Second Suspect Sought, Police Say
James Edward McDaniel, 81, was leaving a Walmart in Gainesville, Georgia, on a mobility scooter when gunfire from a parking-lot confrontation struck him on October 14, police say. An 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with felony murder, and officers are still searching for a second suspect, aged 17.
