Covington Walmart employee kills 2, injures 1 in separate shootings, officials say

The terrifying encounter was only one chapter in a deadly rampage that unfolded first at Akeela Clarke’s workplace, a nearby Walmart, and then arrived directly at her family’s front door.

The young woman’s coworkers were just a few hours into their overnight shifts in an otherwise empty store when the horror broke out.

A fellow employee went on a multisite shooting spree that left Clarke and another employee dead and seriously injured a third, the sheriff’s office said. The episode ended hours later and more than 150 miles away in South Carolina, where authorities said the suspect, Dwayne Eduh, 24, of Covington, was apprehended after he fired again, critically wounding himself.

The incident started around 1:30 a.m. Friday at a Walmart Supercenter on Salem Road near Covington, about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Just before the chaos ensued, authorities said Eduh had left the store, which was closed to the public, and grabbed a firearm. Upon returning, they said he shot two of his coworkers, whom officials described as acquaintances.

Newton deputies who were called to the store discovered the two victims. Khalaf Barksdale, 21, of Conyers, died at the scene, officials said. The other Walmart employee was rushed to a hospital, where officials said he is stable.

“This was not an active shooter situation. The suspect specifically targeted individuals they knew,” the sheriff’s office said, though investigators did not disclose a motive.

Credit: Caroline Silva

Credit: Caroline Silva

Eduh then left the store and forced his way into Clarke’s home about 2 miles away on Emerson Trail, authorities said. There, they said he fatally shot Akeela Clarke, whom officials also described as an acquaintance.

Her mother said the teen had been working at Walmart for about seven months.

Everything happened so fast, Samantha Clarke told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The suspect kicked in the front door, and her daughter ran and locked herself in an upstairs bedroom. Samantha Clarke said the suspect then shot at the bedroom door, striking her daughter, before kicking down that door, as well.

“He just kept on shooting her and shooting her and shooting her and shooting her and shooting her,” she said. “He just emptied the whole magazine on her and then he left. I was right there. Everything happened in front of me.”

Samantha Clarke said she thinks the alleged shooter didn’t realize she was in the bedroom. He didn’t even look at her. But she said she recognized him and had heard about him.

She described her daughter as someone who would always show up for her friends and help strangers. She was also sassy and full of spunk.

After opening fire at the Clarke home, Eduh took off on I-20 toward South Carolina, according to authorities. Deputies tracked down his phone number and began negotiating with him to surrender. But when South Carolina law enforcement arrived, Eduh shot himself, Newton officials said.

He was taken into custody and rushed to an Augusta hospital in critical condition. An update on what charges he faces had not been provided as of Friday afternoon.

The Walmart store remained closed Friday. A few officers and private security workers stayed at the scene hours later asking people to leave.

A spokesperson for Walmart’s corporate office, in an email to the AJC, said the company is “heartbroken by what’s happened.”

“There’s no place for violence in our stores. We’re focused on taking care of our associates and supporting law enforcement with their investigation,” the statement said.

Destiny Clarke has organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help with her sister’s funeral costs.

“Akeela was one of the most vibrant and joyful individuals you could ever meet, and this tragedy will leave an enduring wound in our family,” she wrote.

“No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone witness their death,” she added.