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Families of Walmart shooting victims demand answers: 'We need justice

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Published  April 14, 2025 6:37pm EDT
Newton County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Families of victims speak after deadly shooting

We're hearing from the families of two of the victims of the deadly shooting spree on Friday that began at a local Walmart.

The Brief

    • We're hearing from the families of the two employees who were shot inside Walmart on Friday.
    • 29-year-old Ryan Bradley was shot three times and remains in the hospital. His family says he is doing better, but they aren't certain when he'll be released.
    • 21-year-old Khalaf Barksdale was killed. His family says he had an awesome smile and was a great person. They also want answers as to exactly what happened.
    • Both of the victims’ families say they were innocent bystanders.

The families of two Newton County Walmart employees are speaking out after a deadly shooting last week.

SEE ALSO: Walmart employee dies after killing 2, injuring 1 in shootings at Newton County store, home

The backstory:

The Newton County Sheriff's Office says this was a targeted attack in which a co-worker at the Walmart, Dwayne Eduh, got a handgun and shot co-workers Ryan Bradley and Khalaf Barksdale.

The sheriff's office says Eduh then drove to another co-worker, Akeela Clarke's house, and shot her before fleeing to South Carolina, where he shot himself. Barksdale and Clarke didn't survive.

The sheriff's office says Eduh died from his injuries on Sunday.

What they're saying:

"Thank God for his co-workers; they helped, and they all made sure he made it to the ambulance," Ryan Bradley's mother, Olivia Don, said.

"It's heartbreaking and scary because this is a place where he's supposed to, you know, at least find safety. He's going to work every day, and you know, he's trying to make an honest living," she added.

"He had an awesome smile; he was a great person. He was very calm, very humble," Khalaf's cousin, Latrice Freeman, explained.

Despite the sheriff's office's statement that this was targeted, both families say their loved ones were innocent bystanders.

"He was innocent; also, Khalaf was innocent because they were good friends, and he said they were just co-workers," Don said.

"He's an honest person; he doesn't try to be in everybody's way. So, you know, just to see him be an innocent bystander caught up in somebody else's mess is very frustrating," Ryan's brother, Brandon Bradley, added.

"We want some justice; we want some answers; we need some answers. You know, we have nothing; we're clueless. We don't know what's going on, and it's just not enough for us," Freeman explained.

SEE ALSO: Balloon release for 19-year-old aspiring nurse killed by Walmart coworker

The other side:

Despite the 

What you can do:

Khalaf Barksdale's family will be having a balloon release Tuesday afternoon at the Walmart on Salem Road in Covington. Tuesday would have been his 22nd birthday.

Ryan Bradley's family has a GoFundMe account set up to help with his recovery: Support Ryan Bradley's Recovery Journey

The Source: FOX 5's Kim Leoffler spoke with the families of Khalaf Barksdale and Ryan Bradley for this article.

Newton CountyNewsCrime and Public Safety