A Gwinnett County judge denied bond for Jamaal Jenkins after a preliminary hearing.
SNELLVILLE, GA — A man accused of shooting another customer inside a Chick-fil-A during breakfast rush was denied bond Wednesday after a detective testified that the confrontation began with a comment about cigarette smoke and escalated into gunfire.
Jamaal Andre Jenkins, 44, appeared before a Gwinnett County judge for a preliminary hearing on charges tied to the April 7 shooting at the Chick-fil-A on Scenic Highway. The hearing gave the clearest public account so far of how police say a brief exchange between two men who did not know each other turned into a shooting inside a crowded restaurant.
Snellville Police Detective Victor Martinez testified that Jenkins started talking to the victim while both men were standing in line to order food. Martinez said Jenkins first told the man that he smelled like cigarette smoke, then called him a weirdo and used a racial slur. “He initiated the conversation with him by telling him that he smelled like cigarette smoke,” Martinez said in court. The detective said the victim then punched Jenkins once in the face. Jenkins pulled a Glock 42 from his pocket and fired three shots, Martinez testified. One round hit the victim in the chest. Police have not released the victim’s name.
The shooting happened around 8:20 a.m. April 7, during the breakfast rush at the restaurant on Scenic Highway in Snellville, a Gwinnett County city east of Atlanta. Police said at the time that at least 20 employees were inside, along with several customers. The victim was shot once and was later described by police as stable. Employees were not physically hurt, but management said they were shaken. Officers arrested Jenkins at the scene. Police said the two men did not know each other before the encounter, and investigators have not described any earlier dispute between them.
Martinez told the court that the case could have become a homicide if the gun had continued to fire. “The defendant chased the victim and attempted to continue shooting until his handgun malfunctioned,” Martinez said. That testimony became a key point for prosecutors, who argued Jenkins posed a danger to the community because shots were fired inside a restaurant with workers and customers nearby. The charges against Jenkins include aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct. Booking records list Jenkins’ booking date as April 7 and name him as Jamaal Andre Jenkins.
Defense attorney Teombre Calland argued that Jenkins acted in self-defense because the victim struck him first. Calland told the judge that Jenkins was not a flight risk, had no felony convictions and would agree to stay away from both the victim and the restaurant. Prosecutors opposed bond, citing the crowded setting and the detective’s testimony that Jenkins kept trying to shoot after the first rounds were fired. The judge bound all three charges over to Superior Court, meaning prosecutors may continue the case there. The judge also denied bond, leaving Jenkins in the Gwinnett County Jail.
The case began as a fast-moving police response to gunfire inside a busy fast-food restaurant. On the day of the shooting, Snellville police said an argument between two customers standing near the registers led to several shots. Detective Jeff Manley said then that the victim hit the suspect before the suspect pulled a weapon and fired several times. The restaurant closed for the rest of that Tuesday and was expected to reopen the next morning. The new testimony Wednesday added details about what police believe sparked the argument and why investigators say the shooting did not end with a death.
The next stage of the case will move through Gwinnett County Superior Court, where Jenkins faces the three charges carried over from the preliminary hearing. Court records and future hearings are expected to determine whether prosecutors seek an indictment, whether Jenkins renews any request for bond and how the self-defense claim will be tested. As of Thursday, May 7, Jenkins remained in custody, and officials had not announced a trial date.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.