Walmart Employee Kills Coworkers, Injures Another in Workplace Shooting

Safety at Work

Newton County, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) - A Walmart employee fatally shot two coworkers and critically injured a third in Newton County, Georgia, officials said.

Newton County Police said they chased the suspect, Dwayne Eduh, from Newton County across the South Carolina border into Aiken. After a standoff with police, Eduh died of a self-inflicted wound. The shooting started on a Friday morning early last month.

According to the police, Eduh left the store around 1:30 a.m., and returned to the store with a gun. Eduh entered the closed store and shot two coworkers. One of those co-workers, Khalaf Barksdale, 21, died at the scene. The second victim, a 29-year-old employee, Ryan Bradley, was injured and taken to a nearby hospital.

Police said all of the victims were acquaintances of Eduh.

Eduh then drove to the home of another Walmart workers, Akeela Clarke, 19, and shot her. Clarke died at the scene, police said.

Police said Eduh then escaped across state lines into Aiken County. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said South Carolina state troopers and Aiken County deputies found Eduh and tried to arrest him. Eduh and law enforcement entered into a standoff during which Eduh shot himself.

"He shot himself when patrol located him [in South Carolina]," Newton County Sheriff’s Office’s Sgt. Jack Redlinger said. Eduh survived and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The following Sunday, he died of his injuries.

While the Walmart was closed, employees were still in the building when Eduh returned. Overnight employees at the Walmart whispered their cries for help to dispatchers as they tried to hide from the shooting. One manager told 911 operators he let Eduh back into the store because Eduh said he’d left something behind.

"He said he had his bag in there," the manager said on the 911 call. “I let him back in.” He didn't know Eduh had gone to retrieve a weapon and come back.”

Once back inside the story, Eduh pulled out a weapon and began to shoot. Witnesses said reported hearing multiple gunshots in the building.

Akeela Clark’s mother said Eduh kicked in the front door of the house and killed Clark while her younger sister hid in a closet. The gunman then left the home without harming any of the other family members.

Clarke said the ordeal began shortly after 2 a.m. when her daughter ran into her room and urged her to call police.

"She said, call the police," Samantha Clarke, Akeela’s mother said. "He kicked the door in, and then she said, ‘Stop.’ She said, ‘Mommy.’ And she said, ‘Stop,’ and I proceed to run. And he just started firing about seven to eight shots. She fell on the ground, and he ran. At that point, I know my daughter was gone."

"Your home supposed to be a safe place," she said. "It’s not like she was at work, or she was outside in the streets. We moved from New York for a better life, and I came to Georgia, I came in this house myself and my two kids, and now I'm left with just one child."

Employees for Walmart said the company shared the grief of the victims.

"We’re heartbroken by what’s happened. There’s no place for violence in our stores," a spokesperson for Walmart told FOX 5. "We’re focused on taking care of our associates and supporting law enforcement with their investigation."

Share This Article: