The GBI identified the suspect who fatally shot a supermarket cashier and wounded a reserve deputy during an argument over wearing a face mask.
Victor Lee Tucker Jr., 30, of Palmetto, Georgia, got into a heated argument with an unnamed female cashier at the Big Bear supermarket on Candler Road in Decatur just after 1 p.m. on Monday.
The argument was over Tucker’s refusal to wear a face mask in the store, DeKalb sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cynthia Williams confirmed to AJC.com.
Authorities said Tucker left the store then immediately returned and shot the cashier in the head. She was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
A reserve deputy who was working part-time as a security guard in the store heard the commotion and confronted the suspect. The deputy and the suspect were both shot during an exchange of gunfire.
The officer was transported to Atlanta Medical Center where he is listed in critical condition. Tucker was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta where he is in stable condition.
A bullet grazed a second cashier who was treated at the scene by medics.
Tucker was arrested by responding officers as he tried to crawl out of the supermarket. He is well-known to store employees who say he has mental problems.
The GBI is leading the shooting investigation.
Masks are not mandated in Georgia and many residents don’t wear masks. However, private businesses still mandate masks as part of their store policy.
A sign outside the grocery store advises shoppers to wear a mask inside the store, but some shoppers disregard the signage.
The unidentified grocery store owner told a reporter he is considering banning guns inside the store.
Off-duty law enforcement moonlight at grocery stores in Georgia due to ongoing arguments over face masks.
Decatur is a suburb about 6 miles east of downtown Atlanta.
