Georgia authorities have arrested former University of Georgia football player Ahkil Crumpton in connection with the fatal shooting of a RaceTrac gas station clerk.
Crumpton, 23, went to a junior college in California before he attended UGA to play wide receiver in 2017 and 2018. He was arrested for the murder of 23-year-old Elijah Wood was shot to death at a RaceTrac on March 19, 2021.
Crumpton was taken into custody in connection to the murder in Philadelphia after police matched a shell casing from the gas station shooting to a crime scene in the city, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“It’s a great relief to finally have the suspect in custody,” Oconee Sheriff James A. Hale said in a Facebook post. “For the past year, we have seen the pain, agony, and frustrations this murder has brought to Elijah’s family, friends, and to our community.”
“We all know this arrest will not bring Elijah back, but we hope his family, friends, and this community can now begin the healing process. We also know that the fight is not over. We must now successfully prosecute the case in a court of law,” he added.
The UGA Athletic Association released a statement saying they “were stunned to learn that the suspect in this horrific crime is a former UGA student-athlete.”
