GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police in Gwinnett County announced the arrest of a man in the killing of a 59-year-old corrections officer.
The department said their SWAT team arrested Yahya Abdulkadir, 22, around 1:30 p.m. on Friday in Lithonia. He faces felony murder and aggravated assault charges concerning the officer's death.
Abdulkadir was taken back to Gwinnett County Police headquarters and booked into the detention center, according to Gwinnett Police.
In a news conference, Gwinnett Police said they worked with ATF, U.S. Marshals and the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.
Watch below | Police hosted a news conference Friday afternoon
Scott Riner, who had worked with the corrections department for 10 years, was shot and killed outside the Gwinnett Correctional Center on Dec. 13.
It happened just before 6:20 a.m. as he was on his way to work. The suspect, who police say is Abdulkadir, ran away.
Initially, investigators believed Riner had been in some sort of confrontation with Abdulkadir, but in a media update on Friday, investigators said a dispute may have not happened and they continue to look into the circumstances of the shooting.
Police have not since detailed any kind of motive.
"Any time that we lose one of our own, it is extremely difficult, extremely emotional, but what the police department is going to do to help him and honor his memory and his family is to work this case as hard as we can and catch the person who did this," Gwinnett Police Sgt. Jennifer Richter said.
Riner's family also issued a statement, thanking the community for its support and prayers.
"Today, Scott's alleged killer was arrested and we fully believe that justice will be rightfully served," the statement reads. "While we are all still grappling with the loss of someone we loved so dearly, we can now begin to properly grieve knowing that Scott's alleged killer is behind bars."
The family also thanked the police department for its efforts.
The corrections center, located on Hi Hope Road near Swanson Drive in Lawrenceville, is for people serving a sentence as opposed to people at a jail who are generally waiting to be sentenced. The Gwinnett County Department of Corrections is a separate agency, not part of either the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office or the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Here is the Riner family's complete statement, from Friday night, December 16:
"On behalf of the entire family of Senior Corrections Officer Scott Riner, thank you to everyone who has sent their love, well wishes, and prayers to our family during this horrific time. Today, Scott's alleged killer was arrested and we fully believe that justice will be rightfully served. While we are all still grappling with the lost of someone we loved so dearly, we can now begin to properly grieve knowing that Scott's alleged killer is behind bars.
"Also, a very big thank you to the Gwinnett County Police Department for their tireless efforts in bringing this case to a close. We also want to thank the media for their diligent coverage in getting the message out to find his killer along with their compassionate stories of his work. We were, and still are, so very proud of the pride he put into his job to make every day a little better for everyone."