Second suspect arrested in Mother's Day mass shooting in DeKalb County

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Police say they've arrested a second suspect connected to a mass shooting on Mother's Day that left three people dead and another three hurt in DeKalb County.

Deputies with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office arrested 21-year-old Ajang Ruach at a home on Ashton Oak Circle. They say they found him hiding in a closet.

"DeKalb County will not retreat," county CEO Michael Thurmond said last month in the wake of the shooting, "We will do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice."

Ajang Ruach (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

Police think that both Ruach and 25-year-old Ofieo Ojego are responsible for the May 8 mass shooting in the Brannon Hill apartment complex. At the apartments, police found five people shot. Three were dead at the scene and a sixth person arrived at the hospital in serious condition after the shooting. 

Weeks earlier, officers had arrested Ofieo but were still looking for Ruach until Sunday. Deputies said a Crime Stoppers tip led them to that home.

Neighbors say the Brannon Hill community is largely made up of marginalized refugee and immigrant families – forced to dodge the crossfire from rival gangs.

Police investigate a deadly shooting at an apartment complex off Memorial Drive in DeKalb County on May 8, 2022. (FOX 5)

"It’s a danger, dangerous place," a man called King Brown told FOX 5 on the night of the shooting. "We've been hearing a lot of shootings. Illegal stuff."

The condo complex has a long history of violence, once nicknamed the "worst neighborhood in America."

The county’s top official said last month that he has made cleaning it up a priority.
"We've invested a significant amount of resources in this property," CEO Thurmond said. "It is privately owned. We will continue to try to support the families that are some of the most vulnerable in our community 20 and this is an encouragement to do even more if possible."