STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — A Wednesday evening trip to a local shopping center turned tragic after a 33-year-old woman was shot and killed in Stone Mountain, according to DeKalb County police. The victim has been identified as Precious Jones. The deadly shooting has left the community shaken and searching for answers.
Police say the shooting happened around 6 p.m. at the Memorial Bend Shopping Center in the 5200 block of Memorial Drive. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Jones suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot. Despite emergency response efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have arrested 23-year-old Zanbria Arrington in connection with the shooting. Arrington has been charged with murder and is currently being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail. However, investigators say the case is not over. Police are actively searching for a second suspect believed to be involved in the incident.
According to investigators, the violence appears to have started as a verbal dispute that escalated in the parking lot. What began as an argument quickly turned deadly. By 7 p.m., a large portion of the shopping center parking lot was blocked off with crime scene tape as detectives and crime scene investigators worked late into the evening collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses.
Police are now reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses to help identify the vehicle involved and locate the outstanding suspect. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as they continue to piece together exactly what happened.
The tragedy has deeply affected those who frequent the shopping center. Olivia, a regular visitor, shared her sadness, saying, “There’s so much going on in the world today, and people are struggling. So just spread some more kindness because that’s what we all need.” Chrishelle Vincent, who works at the shopping center, said she was heartbroken. “It could’ve been me, it could’ve been anyone that I’ve known,” she said. As the investigation continues, the community mourns the loss of Precious Jones, a life taken too soon in an act of violence that has left lasting pain.
