Camilla Jessen
Police say the altercation began when the teen allegedly kicked the suspect’s shopping cart.
An 18‑year‑old man was fatally stabbed during an altercation at a Walmart in Savannah, Ga., and a 48‑year‑old man was arrested and charged with murder, authorities said.
Chatham County police said officers responded to the store on Oct. 23 after receiving reports that a person had been stabbed.
The victim
The victim has been identified on a GoFundMe page as J.T. Schroeder. He was found with multiple stab wounds and lacerations and died days later, the police department said.
Delano Middleton, 48, was taken into custody and charged with murder, according to Chatham County court records.
Police said the confrontation began as Middleton was exiting the Walmart and Schroeder allegedly kicked Middleton’s shopping cart. Authorities described the incident as a stabbing that occurred during an ensuing dispute.
Family disputes police account
According to People, family members have pushed back on that version of events.
Schroeder’s father, also named J.T. Schroeder, told local station WJCL that his son was not confrontational by nature and suggested the department’s account did not capture the full context. “My son was never, ever confrontational unless he was confronted first,” the elder Schroeder said.
He described arriving at the scene to find his son gravely injured.
“I got over there as fast as I could and saw blood everywhere. He was literally stabbed over ten times until he finally bled out and died,” he told the station.
Investigation is ongoing
Court records did not immediately indicate whether Middleton has an attorney or entered a plea.
The investigation remains active, and detectives have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the stabbing.
Authorities did not provide information about any witnesses or surveillance footage.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the Chatham County Police Department.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
