DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A murder suspect is in finally in custody, months after police said he gunned down a young man in front of his girlfriend and friends outside a Walmart.
On Thursday night, DeKalb County Police announced that the suspect, Delon Hooks, 26, was in custody in a Miami-area jail. Hooks was wanted in DeKalb County for the April 2020 shooting death of Jeremiah Smith.
It was on the night of the 19th when Smith, 22, and his girlfriend walked out of the Walmart on Fairington Road and went to get inside their friend's car. As that friend pulled his car to the front door, “Jeremiah was being shot.”
DeKalb Police said the shooting happened because of an argument, however, Jeremiah’s girlfriend and another friend said the 22-year-old was followed out of the store and shot because he tried to defend his girlfriend.
His girlfriend said she was approached by the shooter inside the store.
“He kept asking for my number and I told him no a few times,” she told 11Alive earlier this week.
She said Smith stepped in to tell the man to leave her alone, but said the man flashed the gun at them in the store.
“We walked off, thought it was over and we even passed them at the self-checkout,” she said.
As they left, Smith's girlfriend said the man shot him in the back of the head.
“It was pure evil,” she said.
Police released surveillance pictures of the persons of interest from inside the store and Ring doorbell video from shortly after, but for six months, there was no arrest.
That changed last Tuesday, Oct. 13 after DeKalb Police said Hooks was arrested by Miami Dade Police. According to jail records, he was arrested on charges of human trafficking, prostitution and unlawful use of a communication device. Hooks is now awaiting extradition.
After learning of his arrest, the family said they were at peace, and hope he answers for the murder of Jeremiah and the human trafficking crime he's accused of.
“I’m just relieved because he’s been out here doing crazy stuff, and it’s just so sad. All I got to say is whatever you do in the dark, it will come to light," said Jeremiah's sister, Charity Wathall
Jeremiah's mom, Comonet Smith added, “I’m just like praise God. That’s the best news that I could ever hear or the answer to my prayers, you know, that’s all I ever wanted.”
As for Hooks' charges stemming from Florida, Keith Strickland, a family friend and non-profit organizer said, "Not only did this family receive justice, but those people who were victims of human trafficking received justice as well."
So far, police haven't mentioned anything about the other person of interest that they identified.
