Police say James McDaniel was an innocent bystander when gunfire from a confrontation struck him as he left the Gainesville store.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The family of an 81-year-old Navy veteran is mourning after police say he was fatally shot while leaving a Walmart on a mobility scooter, as investigators hold one teenager on murder and assault charges and continue searching for a second suspect.
James Edward McDaniel of Lula was struck by gunfire shortly after 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in the parking lot of the Walmart at 400 Shallowford Road, according to Gainesville police. Investigators said McDaniel had no involvement in the confrontation that led to the shooting. Police said two groups of males had argued inside the store before the dispute moved into the parking lot, where shots were fired. McDaniel was on the opposite end of the lot when he was hit.
Emergency responders took McDaniel to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in critical condition. Gainesville police later announced that he had died. His family described him as a Navy veteran, former postal worker, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Relatives said his death came during an ordinary trip to the store, leaving them struggling to understand how he became caught in violence involving people he did not know.
Police arrested 18-year-old Kamari Nehemiah Tilmuth of Gainesville early Oct. 18 while the Hall County SWAT Team was executing a search warrant. Authorities charged Tilmuth with felony murder, four counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The charges are allegations, and Tilmuth is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Investigators are also seeking 17-year-old Erron Lamar Dorsey of Gainesville. Police said Dorsey faces the same charges as Tilmuth. Authorities allege that Tilmuth and Dorsey opened fire on another group during the confrontation in the parking lot. Police have not publicly said which gunfire struck McDaniel, and the investigation remains active.
McDaniel’s son, Ted McDaniel, remembered his father as a warm and loving man. “My dad was just kind of a fun, loving guy,” he told Atlanta News First. “We always knew he loved us.” The family said McDaniel had spent years serving others, first through his military career and later through his work with the U.S. Postal Service.
McDaniel’s wife, Gloria McDaniel, said the couple had been married for nearly 60 years. While grieving her husband, she told Atlanta News First that she also thought about the families of those accused in the shooting. She said those responsible should face consequences for what happened while acknowledging that the case had changed several families’ lives.
The shooting began with what police described as a confrontation between two groups inside the Walmart. Investigators said the dispute escalated after the groups moved outside. McDaniel, meanwhile, was leaving the store and heading toward his vehicle on his mobility scooter. Police repeatedly described him as an innocent bystander who had no connection to the argument.
The case prompted an intensive search for the people believed to have fired weapons in the crowded parking lot. Gainesville police said the investigation led detectives to identify Tilmuth and Dorsey as suspects. Tilmuth was taken into custody four days after the shooting. Authorities have not publicly announced the recovery of the firearms allegedly used in the incident or released additional details about what started the original dispute.
As of Oct. 22, police continued to list Dorsey as wanted in connection with McDaniel’s death. The investigation remains ongoing while Tilmuth faces the criminal charges filed against him. Authorities have not announced a final determination about the sequence of gunfire that killed McDaniel.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.