Man Arrested in Atlanta Supermarket with AR-15 Rifle, Shotgun, Handguns, Ammo, Body Armor, Ski-Mask; Charged With Intent to Commit Felony

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Two days after 10 people were murdered at a grocery store in Colorado, Rico Marley, 22, was arrested at an Atlanta supermarket with a semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun and 4 handguns. Marley was also wearing body armor and had a cache of ammunition according to police.
Two days after 10 people were murdered at a grocery store in Colorado, Rico Marley, 22, was arrested at an Atlanta supermarket with a semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun and 4 handguns. Marley was also wearing body armor and had a cache of ammunition according to police.

ATLANTA, GA – Just two days after a lone gunman killed ten people in a Colorado supermarket, a man was arrested on Wednesday after walking into an Atlanta, Georgia supermarket sporting an arsenal of weapons, ammo, and tactical gear, police say.

Rico Marley, 22, walked into a Publix grocery store at approximately 1:30 p.m. while wearing body armor and carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun, four handguns, and a large cache of ammunition, according to reports.

A witness noted that they saw Marley enter the supermarket, carrying a long rifle and a black guitar case, and go into the establishment’s restroom; at that time the witness called police, who were on the scene by the time the suspect emerged.

Marley was detained for questioning, at which time police say they discovered the rest of his weapons and ammo in the guitar case, along with a black ski mask. Marley was subsequently placed under arrest; no shots were fired and no one was injured, reports say.

Atlanta police say that Marley faces charges of 6 counts of Possession of Firearm or Knife During a Commission of or Attempt to Commit Certain Felonies and 5 counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony. He is currently being detained at Fulton County Jail and is scheduled to have his mental health evaluated by Grady Memorial Hospital emergency services. In addition to the Colorado supermarket shooting Monday, last week eight people were killed via shootings at three spas in the Atlanta area as well. This explains the heightened tensions among local residents, including Charles Russell, who reportedly witnessed Marley with his rifle in the supermarket’s restroom and worried that another mass shooting was about to occur.

“I saw an AR-15 and I was like… you know, this kind of startled me, again with the events that just recently happened in the grocery store up in Colorado,” Russell told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB. “I went to the clerk at the customer service desk working at the time and let them know. It wasn’t acted upon right away. It was actually taken a little more lightly than I thought it would be, especially with the recent events.”

Officials say Marley had a weapons carry license on him at the time of the incident.

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