Man Carrying 5 Guns, Body Armor Inside Atlanta Supermarket Arrested

Police arrested a man who was openly carrying a rifle as he entered the Atlanta Publix Supermarket Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Rico Marley, has been charged with reckless conduct and will go through further processing at the Fulton County Jail.

Marley entered the supermarket located in Atlantic Station, a residential and commercial area, while openly carrying his rifle. He then went to the bathroom, a witness statement said. According to the preliminary investigation, the witness alerted the store's management, so they promptly notified the police.

Police found and detained the man without anyone getting hurt. The Atlanta Police Department said in a statement that while the police were investigating, they found three pistols, two long guns, and body armor in Marley's possession. The confiscated items will be held by the Atlanta Police Department as evidence.

Police claimed when Marley had left the bathroom with the rifle, the officers arriving at the scene had immediately detained him.

This incident took place only two days after 10 people were shot to death in a Colorado supermarket by Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa. Also, over a week prior, eight people were killed by Robert Aaron Long in the Atlanta spa shootings.

Health officials are evaluating the mental health of the man in custody, the Atlanta Police Department said, adding, the investigation is in the preliminary stages and is still under development.

Around the time Marley was arrested, Atlanta police received a report about a suspicious package. The Atlanta police responded and evacuated the area. The package is still being investigated and it is not yet known whether it is related to the incident at the Publix supermarket.

In 2019, Publix put down a rule saying customers are not allowed to openly carry guns while in their stores in states where it is legal to openly carry firearms.