Family, community gather for funeral of slain Gwinnett County correctional officer
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Family and friends have gathered together Tuesday to lay to rest a Gwinnett County correctional officer shot and killed right outside his work last week.
Gwinnett County Senior Corrections Officer Scott Riner, who was murdered outside Gwinnett County Jail, was laid to rest after a service at North Metro Baptist Church on Old Peachtree Road in Lawrenceville.
Friends, family and members of local law enforcement honored Riner's life and legacy.
Senior Pastor Dr. Frank Cox said it was a celebration of a well-lived life.
"A celebration of a life well-lived for 59 years, cut short but yet at the same time, according to the word of God, we know that he's lived a full life," he said.
Riner served with the Gwinnett County Corrections Department for 10 years and was well-liked by co-workers and inmates.
"He was a good man," said former co-worker Michael Jones. "It didn't matter what you were going through. He tried to talk to you and make things go smoother for you."
Officer Riner believed the job gave him the opportunity to help people, and in the days since his passing, former inmates have reached out to the family to share how he impacted their lives.
Scott Riner's life was happy I believe because he made his whole life really from the time, he was a little kid about service and giving," the officer's cousin Katherine Tillman told mourners.
Tillman shared fond memories of her cousin. Riner loved the outdoors, was an avid hunter and spent weekends on his farm. Loved ones recalled his great sense of humor. He was a real prankster.
"He would go out there and do things with a straight face, but you knew he was up to something, and you knew the end result was you were going to be laughing," recalled former co-worker Frank Elyar.
The 59-year-old was part of a large, loving family. Married to his wife for 22 years, the couple shared two children and a grandson. His devotion to his family was expressed in his own Facebook post which his cousin shared during the service.
"He said, 'A hundred years from now it won't matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of truck I drove. But my life will have mattered because I was important in the life of my two kids," his cousin recalled.
After the church service, a police processional took Riner to the West View Cemetery in Monticello, Georgia. Residents lined the route to honor the fallen officer.
Makeshift memorial set up for slain correctional officer
A memorial was set up outside the Gwinnett County Jail to honor Senior Correctional Officer Scott Riner, who was shot and killed earlier this week. Friday, investigators announced the arrest of a 22-year-old Dacula man in connection to his murder.
Who was Officer Scott Riner?
Scott Riner was an employee at the correctional facility for around 10 years.
Officials described the officer as a devoted husband to his wife of 22 years, father, and grandfather who was respected by guards and inmates alike.
"My prayers really go out to his family. I want his family to know that he was our family as well, and we are going to get through this together," said Captain Audrey Henderson, who worked with Riner.
(Gwinnett County Police)
Henderson said Riner had a great personality and was well-liked by his co-workers and inmates.
Riner was an avid outdoorsman, according to his obituary, and mourners can donate to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in his memory.
"Being called ‘Grand Daddy’ by his grandson Easton Parker was his greatest joy as he loved to watch YouTube videos with him and taking him fishing in his pond," his obituary reads.
Arrest made in Officer Scott Riner's murder
Friday, Gwinnett County police arrested 22-year-old Yahya Abdulkadir for Riner's murder, saying that they found him in Lithonia.
According to investigators, Riner got into some sort of altercation with Abdulkadir after he arrived at the Gwinnett County Jail for work. At some point during the confrontation, the man shot Riner and fled the scene. Gwinnett Police released surveillance video of the suspect, saying the video shows the suspect was in the area for an extended time before the shooting.
Police say they may never know the motive behind the deadly shooting.
"It doesn’t appear that the officer and Mr. Abdulkadir knew each other, but as we go further in this investigation, that could change," said Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Jennifer Richter.
Investigators believe Abdulkadir acted alone in Officer Riner’s murder.
He's charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.