The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a suspect who shot and killed a store clerk last week inside a Watkinsville RaceTrac.
The convenience store chain has also contributed $5,000, raising the total amount of the reward to $10,000 for any tip that results in the gunman’s arrest.
The shooting killed 23-year-old Oconee County resident Elijah James Wood, who was found dead behind the checkout counter.
The gas station is near Hog Mountain Road and Highway 441, just outside Athens.
A customer discovered Wood dead about 1:40 a.m. Friday and called authorities, reports said.
Deputies who responded administered CPR to Wood but were unable to revive him.
The man’s killer, who walked with a peculiar gait, was captured on the store’s surveillance wearing a black ninja-like mask and hood with a drawstring pulled tight to his head. He also wore gloves, long sleeves, slacks and boots. The suspect’s disguise exposed only his eyes, but none of his other features were identifiable.
Video shows the subject running back and forth throughout the store before eventually leaving the scene. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, police said.
Investigators “are diligently working to find out who our suspect is,” Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said Friday.
Police have not revealed the full circumstances of the shooting or whether Wood had confronted the suspect in any way. A GoFundMe page has raised more than $40,000 for Wood’s funeral.
“Elijah was a great man,” said brother-in-law James Lemmonds, who wrote a tribute to Wood on the fundraiser. “Huge in statue and in heart,” Lemmonds said, adding that Wood was killed just a week shy of his 24th birthday with his twin sister on March 26.
“He was a big family man and believed in family and always making special effort’s to be a part of the family. He loved his God and his country and was always willing to help anyone he felt was in need. He would go out of his way to check on you. He will be truly missed and always loved. This world has lost a treasure.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Zach Eaton at 706-769-3945 or email zeaton@oconeesheriff.org. The FBI in Atlanta can be reached at 770-216-3000, or @oconeelaw at 706-769-5665 or go to http://tips.fbi.gov.
About the Author
