Police said the shooting followed a verbal dispute in a Memorial Drive parking lot.
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA — A 23-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old woman outside a DeKalb County shopping center, authorities said, after a parking-lot argument turned into gunfire Wednesday evening along Memorial Drive.
The victim, identified by police as Precious Jones, was pronounced dead at the scene at the Memorial Bend Shopping Center after officers arrived around 6 p.m. Investigators said the incident appears to have started as a verbal fight and was not believed to be a domestic dispute. The arrest came as detectives continued reviewing surveillance video and searching for at least one other person believed to have fled during the chaos.
Police were called to the shopping center in the 5200 block of Memorial Drive as shoppers and employees were still moving between stores and the parking lot during the early evening hours. Officers found Jones suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and paramedics pronounced her dead where she fell, authorities said. From above, aerial footage showed police and emergency crews gathered near a covered area in the lot, while investigators taped off part of the shopping center and began collecting evidence. By about 7 p.m., crime scene investigators and detectives were still on scene, working under lights as traffic rolled by on Memorial Drive and customers slowed to look.
DeKalb County police later announced that Zanbria Arrington, 23, had been booked into the DeKalb County Jail on a murder charge in connection with the shooting. Authorities said she was being held without bond. Investigators have not publicly described what led up to the argument or whether Jones and Arrington knew each other before the confrontation. Police also have not said whether the gun used in the shooting has been recovered. In the hours after the shooting, detectives focused on witness interviews and video from the shopping center and nearby businesses, saying they were trying to identify a vehicle connected to the people who left the scene.
The shooting drew immediate attention because it happened in a public place where families shop, eat and run errands, and it left workers in nearby storefronts shaken. Chrishelle Vincent, who works at the shopping center, described the fear that set in as word spread that someone had been killed outside. “I’m heartbroken, honestly, because it could’ve been me, it could’ve been anyone that I’ve known,” Vincent said. The area around Memorial Drive is lined with small businesses, restaurants and service shops, and the Memorial Bend complex sits close to neighborhoods where residents often stop in after work. Wednesday’s shooting, investigators said, erupted quickly, leaving little time for bystanders to understand what was happening.
Authorities have released only limited details about the moments just before the shots were fired. Police said the dispute began verbally in the parking lot, but they have not described who was involved, how many people were present, or what sparked the confrontation. Detectives said they were working to confirm the movements of the people they believe were involved, including identifying who may have driven away and which direction the vehicle traveled. Officials have not said whether they have located all potential witnesses, and they have not released information about any surveillance clips, beyond saying they were reviewing footage. Investigators also have not said how many shots were fired or where in the lot the victim was standing when she was hit.
As the investigation moved into its next phase, police signaled that the arrest did not end their work. Detectives said they were still searching for at least one additional person connected to the case and were using video and witness statements to track that person’s role. Authorities have not said whether that individual is considered a suspect in the shooting itself, an accomplice, or a key witness who left before police arrived. Prosecutors will typically review a case file after detectives complete initial interviews, collect physical evidence and document any video or digital records, and police have indicated that process is ongoing. Court records and hearing dates were not immediately announced publicly Thursday, and police did not say when Arrington is expected to make her first appearance before a judge.
For those who frequent the shopping center, the killing added a grim note to an otherwise routine weekday evening. A woman who said she visits the area often, and gave only her first name, Olivia, said she was saddened to hear how quickly a disagreement could turn deadly. “Because at the end of the day, we’re all accountable for our own actions,” she said. “And it’s sad that somebody had to lose their life because they had a disagreement.” Nearby workers described customers asking what happened as police tape blocked off sections of the lot, while others chose to leave without finishing their errands. Even after the busiest part of the response ended, some employees lingered outside their shops, watching investigators and trying to understand who had been hurt.
Police said Thursday that the case remained active as detectives continued working leads from the scene, including reviewing surveillance video and following up with witnesses who may have seen the argument or the moments immediately after the shots were fired. Investigators said they expect additional information to be released as they confirm details and determine whether further charges are warranted. For now, police said, the focus remains on documenting what happened in the parking lot and locating the remaining person or people connected to the flight from the scene.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.