The man accused of fatally stabbing an 18-year-old who allegedly kicked his shopping cart at a Walmart in Georgia was on probation at the time of the incident.
Court documents show that Delano Middleton has been charged with murder in the death of J.T. Schroeder on October 23. It is not immediately clear whether he has entered a plea.
According to the Chatham County Police Department, Schroeder kicked Middleton’s shopping cart as he was exiting the business.
According to investigators, Schroeder died four days later after receiving multiple stab wounds and lacerations.
Middleton had pled guilty to aggravated assault in 2023 and was on probation at the time of the Walmart stabbing, according to state court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The aggravated assault accusation arose from a 2021 indictment accusing him of stabbing a lady.
According to the sentencing document, Middleton was sentenced to two years in jail and eight years on probation. Prosecutors have subsequently filed a motion to revoke his probation.
Middleton, who was arrested in 2021, received credit for time served, resulting in his release from prison at the time.
WTOC spoke with Erica Young, who identified herself as the victim of the 2021 assault and stated that she was stabbed four times.
“I asked him if he needed help finding his vehicle, and he shoved a cart over on top of me and just started stabbing me,” Young told the newspaper.
Schroeder’s father, also called J.T., told WJCL that the accusation that his son kicked a shopping cart did not capture the whole picture.
“My son was never, ever confrontational unless he was confronted first,” the elder Schroeder told the publication.
WTOC stated that the younger Schroeder was an organ donor.
“Although losing J.T. was devastating, let this shine a light on becoming an organ donor,” Dr. James Dunne told the publication. “So, if there’s one message I’d like to convey to the community, please consider that. Individuals do not have the opportunity to save another person’s life. But this is one way that we can all help save many lives.”
