- Police arrested a man wearing body armor and openly carrying several guns, including an assault rifle.
- Alarmed customers at the grocery store alerted store managers, who called the police.
- Police told local news outlets that the man has been arrested and sent for a psychiatric evaluation.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
A man toting five guns and wearing full body armor into a Publix grocery store at Atlantic Station, Atlanta, was arrested on charges of reckless conduct yesterday after alarmed employees called the police.
Local police told WSB-TV Atlanta that 22-year-old Rico Marley walked into the Publix store at around 1:30 p.m. holding a rifle and carrying multiple firearms.
The Publix incident comes days after 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at the Colorado King Soopers supermarket. Separately, eight people – including six Asian women – were murdered after a shooter hit three Asian-run spas in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
Witness Charles Russell told ABC affiliate WSB, saying he came across Marley and his weaponry in the store's restroom.
"I saw an AR-15. And I was like, you know, this kind of startled me just again with events that recently happened in the grocery store up in Colorado," Russell said.
Store management at the Publix Atlantic Station phoned the police, who arrested Marley when he exited the bathroom. The police found two long guns and three pistols in Marley's possession.
-Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) March 25, 2021
The Atlanta Police told Insider they sent Marley for a psychiatric evaluation.
"Upon arrival, officers met with management who stated a male armed with a rifle entered the location. Responding officers immediately located and detained the male for questioning," the police said.
The guns and body armor Marley was carrying have been taken into evidence. While it is not yet known if Marley was licensed to carry arms, Georgia is an open-carry state.
Publix told 11Alive News in a statement that while investigations are ongoing, the grocery store will be closed.
"At Publix, the safety of our associates and customers is our priority. We are cooperating with local law enforcement on an incident that occurred earlier today in our Atlantic Station store. We are thankful that there were no injuries, and all were able to exit the store safely," it said.
Insider has reached out to Publix for comment.