In less than four hours, an Atlanta man fired shots at three separate drivers, killing a father in front of his family and injuring two others, according to investigators. Then, he allegedly spray-painted his stolen SUV to disguise it.
Early Friday, DeKalb County police arrested Mikeal Demond Callaway and charged him with murder, eluding police, reckless driving and speeding, jail records showed. Later in the day, Callaway, 24, was charged as a suspect in two other shootings just miles apart in Atlanta, according to police.
Callaway is a felon who has twice served in prison under an alias, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. He also goes by the name Montario Briddy, according to prison records and DeKalb and Fulton jail records. At the time of his arrest, he had active arrest warrants in three jurisdictions.
Early Thursday, Callaway randomly picked his three shooting victims, Atlanta police Maj. Richard Mason said Friday afternoon.
“The victims were simply victims,” Mason said.
The first shooting occurred about 12:15 a.m. Thursday east of Hamilton E. Holmes Drive on I-20 West, Atlanta police Officer Donald Hannah said.
“The victim stated that as he was traveling westbound on I-20, a silver SUV pulled up alongside his vehicle and an unknown suspect fired multiple rounds into his vehicle, ultimately striking him,” Hannah said.
Then, shortly before 2:40 a.m., a driver about 4 miles away lost control of a car and crashed into other cars after being shot in the neck on Fulton Street, according to police. Both of the injured drivers are expected to survive.
Investigators believe the same suspect later shot a man shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday as he returned to his home off Flat Shoals Road in DeKalb. Nicholas Bankston was returning home following his own birthday celebration when he was shot and killed, according to neighbors. His children and two other adults were also in the car, but none were injured.
A tipster led police to the SUV involved in the shootings: a silver Infiniti. But it looked different when investigators found it late Thursday.
“It looked like someone took a spray can and tried to cover up the car,” Mason said.
Callaway returned to the SUV, and Atlanta police and the Georgia State Patrol attempted to pull him and an unidentified female passenger on Constitution Road, the GSP said. Callaway and the woman led police on a brief chase before a GSP trooper stopped the SUV near a Moreland Avenue shopping center. The woman ran from police but was quickly caught, and the pair was taken into custody, according to the GSP. Late Friday, the woman had not been charged.
“At this time, we believe he acted alone,” Mason said.
Atlanta police on Friday afternoon charged Callaway with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, burglary smash and grab, criminal damage to property, theft by taking and burglary in the first degree, according to Sgt. John Chafee. In addition to the Thursday shootings, Atlanta police believe Callaway committed a burglary Tuesday, Chafee said.
Callaway was released from state prison in October and also served time from June 2011 until February 2014, DOC records show. Callaway has been convicted of burglary, theft, criminal damage and drug charges in Fulton and DeKalb counties. He was being held late Friday in the DeKalb jail.
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