Authorities in Georgia say a 39-year-old man shot and killed DoorDash driver Eboni Anderson outside a suburban elementary school, then fled more than 100 miles with a young child in his vehicle before crashing during a police chase. As investigators piece together what happened, key questions remain about motive, the child’s role in the timeline, and when homicide charges will follow.
TLDR
Police in Georgia allege that Christopher Ates fatally shot DoorDash driver Eboni Anderson outside Palmetto Elementary School, prompting a lockdown and mass student relocation, then drove over 100 miles before crashing during a police chase with a child in his car. He faces multiple charges, with more expected.
According to Fulton County and Houston County authorities, the shooting took place late on a Tuesday morning outside Palmetto Elementary School in Palmetto, a small city southwest of Atlanta. The victim, 34-year-old Anderson, was working as a DoorDash delivery driver at the time, and the defendant, identified by police as Christopher Ates, is accused of firing the fatal shots.
In reporting by WXIA and Law&Crime, investigators have not publicly detailed what led up to the confrontation or whether Anderson and Ates knew each other. School officials have described it as an incident that began as a domestic dispute and then moved onto school grounds, but law enforcement agencies have not released a full narrative of the events.
Shooting Outside an Elementary School
Fulton County Schools officials said the shooting occurred around 11 a.m. outside Palmetto Elementary School. The school, which serves several hundred students, quickly went into what administrators described as a hard lockdown, a high-security posture that restricts movement and access while police secure the area.
According to Law&Crime and local television outlet WAGA, the lockdown triggered a large-scale response from both law enforcement and school staff. More than 500 students were moved from Palmetto Elementary to another school so that parents could reunite with their children away from the active crime scene and investigation perimeter.
Principal Jacqueline Bowens, in a letter to families obtained by WAGA, sought to explain both the severity of what had occurred and the district’s security response. She wrote that the incident appeared to have begun elsewhere, stating, “Based on information shared by law enforcement, the incident appears to be a domestic dispute that spilled over onto school grounds.” She emphasized that no Palmetto Elementary students or staff were directly involved and that the school’s safety protocols were followed.
Officials have not publicly clarified why a delivery was taking place at that time or whether the school itself was the intended delivery location. WXIA reported that Anderson was working for DoorDash and making deliveries at the time of the shooting.
Victim Identified as Working Mother and Delivery Driver
Family members identified the victim as 34-year-old Eboni Anderson. According to coverage from WXIA and Law&Crime, Anderson was a mother whose children attend Fulton County Schools, though the district clarified that they do not attend Palmetto Elementary.
A fundraising page organized to assist her family described Anderson as a “beautiful, kind, and gentle soul” and said, “Anyone who knew her knows the warmth and love she carried in her heart. We are heartbroken beyond words and are trying to process this unimaginable loss.” The fundraiser, which has been cited by multiple outlets, has been used by relatives to share their grief and to highlight Anderson’s role as a parent and provider.
DoorDash, the delivery platform Anderson was using, issued a public statement to WXIA expressing condolences and noting that it was working with investigators. The company said, “This is a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with the Dasher’s loved ones. Our team is urgently investigating and working with law enforcement to help their investigation in any way possible.” Beyond this statement, DoorDash has not publicly commented on the specifics of the case.
Flight, Police Chase, and Crash Over 100 Miles Away
In the hours after the shooting, investigators tracked a vehicle believed to be linked to the suspected shooter. Law&Crime, citing information from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, reported that street cameras detected Ates’ vehicle traveling south, more than 100 miles from the original crime scene, near Warner Robins.
Once deputies in Houston County attempted a traffic stop, Ates allegedly refused to pull over. According to the sheriff’s office, a pursuit began and continued until the vehicle collided with a semi-truck, hit a guardrail, and rolled down an embankment. The precise speeds involved and the length of the chase have not been publicly detailed, but the crash was significant enough to end the pursuit and disable the vehicle.
When deputies approached, they discovered that a small child was in the back seat. The Houston County Sheriff’s Office told WXIA that deputies removed the child from the car and had medical personnel assess the child’s condition. The office said, “Deputies immediately removed the juvenile from the vehicle, and EMS evaluated the juvenile. The juvenile was then turned over to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Division.” Officials have not released the child’s age or any identifying information.
Authorities have not stated whether the child was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting at Palmetto Elementary or was picked up afterward. That gap in the timeline is a central unresolved question, especially given the child endangerment charge now filed against Ates.
Current Charges and Anticipated Homicide Case
Ates was taken into custody after the chase and crash and booked into the Houston County Jail. According to Law&Crime and Houston County officials, he currently faces charges including reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and child endangerment.
As of the most recent public updates, Ates had not yet been formally charged in Anderson’s death. However, authorities in Fulton County and Houston County have both indicated that additional charges are expected once investigative steps are completed and jurisdictional questions are resolved. Law&Crime reported that officials expect homicide-related charges to be filed, although no charging document has been made public.
Because the shooting occurred in Fulton County and the chase and crash occurred in Houston County, the case involves multiple law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices. Fulton County authorities would ordinarily lead any murder prosecution tied to a killing in Palmetto, while Houston County prosecutors would handle charges arising from the vehicle pursuit and conduct seen there.
Officials have not said whether Ates has retained an attorney, and no defense filings or public statements on his behalf were available in the reporting reviewed. Without a filed indictment or arrest warrant affidavit for the homicide, there is also no public document laying out a detailed probable cause narrative for the shooting itself.
Domestic Dispute Claim and Unanswered Questions
The principal’s letter to families, stating that the episode appeared to be a domestic dispute, is one of the few characterizations of motive that has reached the public. However, law enforcement agencies cited in coverage by WXIA, WAGA, and Law&Crime have not released a similar explicit description, and they have not explained the exact relationship, if any, between Ates and Anderson.
Officials have said they have not publicly confirmed whether the victim and suspect were previously acquainted, related, or in any form of domestic or romantic relationship. The suggestion that this might be a domestic incident, combined with Anderson’s role as a DoorDash driver working at the time, leaves open multiple possibilities that have not yet been reconciled through official statements.
Another unresolved element concerns the child found in the car after the pursuit. Authorities have not said whether the child witnessed the shooting, when the child entered the vehicle, or what the child’s relationship is to Ates or Anderson. Those facts are likely to be central to both the child endangerment allegations and any narrative a prosecutor would present to a jury.
Additionally, there has been no public indication of recovered firearm evidence or ballistic findings, such as the weapon allegedly used or shell casings collected at the scene. No outlet has reported on whether any surveillance footage from school cameras or nearby buildings captured the shooting itself, although street cameras were used to track the suspect’s vehicle later in the day.
School Safety, Community Impact, and Legal Next Steps
For Fulton County Schools, the case is now both a criminal matter and a test of emergency protocols. Principal Bowens wrote that, despite the gunfire outside, “no Palmetto Elementary students or staff were involved, and at no time were individuals inside our building in danger. Our team acted swiftly and followed all safety protocols as trained.” The district has not yet released a full after-action review, but the decision to transport hundreds of students to another campus underscores the scale of the disruption.
Parents arriving at pickup sites were met with a situation that mixed relief with uncertainty. News images from the day, as reported by Atlanta-area outlets, showed families reuniting with children while police continued to block off the original campus. Counseling and support services are typically offered in such circumstances, though details on long-term resources for students and staff have not been fully outlined in public statements.
For Anderson’s family, the legal process is only beginning. Once homicide charges are filed, prosecutors will need to decide whether to pursue the death penalty, seek life without parole, or follow other sentencing paths under Georgia law. That decision often depends on aggravating factors that have not yet been publicly detailed, such as prior criminal history, alleged premeditation, or whether the killing posed a substantial risk to multiple people.
Ates remains in custody in Houston County, with additional charges expected in Fulton County. Future steps likely include a preliminary hearing, grand jury proceedings on any homicide counts, and potential transfer or coordination between county prosecutors. Until charging documents and court filings are made public, many of the central questions about what happened outside Palmetto Elementary, and why, remain unanswered.
As investigators finalize the case for prosecutors, the community is left with a tightly framed but incomplete picture: a working mother killed while making deliveries, a school forced into lockdown, a child found crying in a crashed vehicle, and an accused shooter held on preliminary charges while a more serious case is prepared.
