A Dollar General store manager was killed after she was allegedly shot by a customer during an argument linked to a $1.58 pack of hamburger buns. Hours later, the suspected gunman was fatally shot by police.
Alexis Hill, 44, was on shift at the Dollar General at the intersection of Victory and Marathon drives in Columbus, Georgia, on Tuesday, 23 June, when the shooting happened as she was checking out a customer.
Officials cited by WKRC, WTVM and WSB-TV said the customer was identified as 33-year-old Jerome Marquis Willis. Investigators say Willis handed Hill two crumpled $1 bills to pay for the buns, which rang up to $1.58.
While Hill was flattening the cash, Willis allegedly moved to the side, drew a gun, and opened fire.
The shooting took place shortly after 10am local time. According to WTVM and the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said Hill was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.46am.
After leaving the store, Willis was located by Columbus Police Department officers about 2 1/2 hours later, around 11.40am, in a parking lot in the 3800 block of Baker Plaza Drive, roughly 1.2 miles from the Dollar General and near the former Muscogee Elementary School.
In a press release, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the case, said officers issued “verbal commands,” but Willis did not comply. Police then deployed a K-9 unit in an effort to take him into custody.
The GBI said Willis shot toward the police dog and continued to point his gun at officers on the scene.
Police responded by firing at Willis, striking him “multiple times.” He died at the scene.
The confrontation also left a CPD officer and the K-9 injured by gunfire. The GBI said both suffered wounds that were “non-life-threatening.” Columbus police later said the officer was treated at a local hospital and released, while the K-9, Havoc, underwent treatment and surgery.
Hill’s family said she did not know Willis before the attack. Court records cited by local news outlets show Willis had prior arrests dating back to 2011, including charges such as robbery, aggravated assault and terroristic threats.
In the aftermath of Hill’s death, friends, relatives, and community members have shared tributes in her memory. One friend, who said Hill was the godmother of her child, told WTVM she was “sweet” and “positive,” adding: “She’d make you laugh. She loved that job, and she worked her entire butt off for that job.”
Her brother Johnathan told WKRC that Hill “can’t be replaced,” and said: “It’s a loss that I’m going to have to deal with, and the family is going to have to deal with.”
Hill is survived by three children and two grandchildren. Johnathan has created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs, describing her as “a beloved sister, mother, grandmother, and member of our family whose sudden tragic passing has left us heartbroken.”
In the fundraiser, he wrote: “Alexis touched many lives with her kindness, generosity and spirit, and we want to come together to celebrate her life and support her estate during this difficult time.”
The GBI said its investigation is active and ongoing, and the case will be turned over to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office once the review is complete.