A man was arrested Wednesday after entering a Publix supermarket in Atlanta carrying six loaded firearms and carrying armor, police said. The man, who Atlanta police have identified as 22-year-old Rico Marley, was charged Thursday with five counts of attempted felony felony and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission. or attempting to commit certain criminal offenses.
Police did not provide specific evidence that Marley planned to shoot at the store that day. But the incident came as a result of two mass shootings that have shaken the nation and sparked a widespread call for arms reform: the shot at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, that killed 10 people, ia series of shots to three spas in the Atlanta area that killed eight.
On Thursday, police released a photo of the weapons Marley was allegedly carrying when he was arrested.
Atlanta Police Department
Atlanta police said Wednesday that a preliminary investigation revealed Marley entered the store Wednesday afternoon openly carrying a rifle and entered the bathroom. A witness noticed him and alerted a store manager, who then called police. Police said they responded to the incident shortly after one-thirty at night and “immediately arrested” Marley as she came out of the bathroom. Emergency medical assistants also arrived at the scene to perform a mental health assessment.
Marley was carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a 12-caliber shotgun in a bag and four pistols under his clothes, according to an incident report released Thursday by Atlanta police. The six firearms were loaded and Marley was wearing armor and wearing a ski mask when he was arrested, according to the report. Police did not report any injuries or shootings.
The individual who reported Marley to the Publix manager told police he “heard clicks of the bathroom stop” at the store and that “it looked like someone was carrying guns,” according to the incident report. . He also claimed to see an AR-15-style rifle “leaning against the wall.”
Publix said in a statement that its location at Atlantic Station is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.
“We appreciate that there were no injuries and everyone was able to leave the store safely,” Publix said. “The store is currently closed. Additional questions should be directed to the Atlanta police department.”
Wednesday later, Atlantic Station, the luxury shopping area where the Publix is located, said it would close while authorities investigated a suspicious package found at the site. It is unclear if the package is related to the previous incident.
“We are closely monitoring the situation alongside APD and will reopen it as soon as possible,” an Atlantic Station spokesman said on Twitter on Wednesday evening. “The safety of the Atlantic Station community is paramount.”
Georgia’s gun licenses allow people to “legally carry a concealed firearm” in the state, according to the state’s website. It’s unclear if Marley had a license, but in 2019, Publix joined a growing list of retailers asking customers not to carry weapons inside their stores even though they were legally allowed in the state.