An 81-year-old man was killed after police say a confrontation between two groups spilled from the store into its parking lot.
GAINESVILLE, GA — An 18-year-old Gainesville man has been arrested and a 17-year-old remains wanted in connection with a shooting that killed an 81-year-old bystander outside a Walmart, according to Gainesville police.
Kamari Nehemiah Tilmuth, 18, was arrested early Sunday, Oct. 18, by the Hall County SWAT Team during the execution of 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 identified the second suspect as Erron Lamar Dorsey, 17, of Gainesville. Authorities said Dorsey faces the same charges and remained at large in the latest publicly available reports.
The charges stem from an Oct. 14 shooting at the Walmart at 400 Shallowford Road. Gainesville police said officers responded shortly after 7 p.m. Investigators later determined that two groups of males had been involved in a confrontation inside the store and that the dispute continued into the parking lot. Police allege that Tilmuth and Dorsey opened fire during the confrontation.
James Edward McDaniel, 81, of Lula, was leaving the Walmart at the opposite end of the parking lot when he was struck by gunfire, investigators said. Police have repeatedly described McDaniel as an innocent bystander who was not involved in the confrontation. He was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in critical condition and later died from his injuries.
The shooting prompted a large investigation across the store’s parking lot. Gainesville police received assistance from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and FBI. Authorities said the coordinated investigation led them to identify Tilmuth and Dorsey within days of McDaniel’s death. Police have not publicly disclosed whether the firearms allegedly used in the shooting have been recovered.
McDaniel’s family described him as a husband, father and grandfather. Family members also said he was a Navy veteran who later spent more than two decades working for the U.S. Postal Service before retiring. His relatives said he had gone to the store as part of an ordinary day before being caught in gunfire unrelated to him.
The case has focused renewed attention on the danger posed when disputes involving firearms unfold in crowded public places. Gainesville police said McDaniel was on the opposite side of the parking lot from the confrontation, underscoring investigators’ account that he had no connection to the dispute that preceded the shooting.
Tilmuth’s charges are accusations, and the case against him has not been adjudicated. Police have also accused Dorsey in connection with the shooting, but his charges likewise do not establish guilt. Authorities have not announced a motive beyond the confrontation investigators say took place between the two groups, and they have not publicly detailed what led to the initial dispute inside the store.
Gainesville police have said the investigation remains active. Authorities continue to seek Dorsey and have warned members of the public not to approach or attempt to apprehend him. No later verified report reviewed as of Thursday indicated that he had been taken into custody.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.