Mum-of-three fatally shot by customer in altercation over £1.30 purchase
The family of a mother-of-three have spoken out about her 'senseless' murder after she was shot dead during her shift at a supermarket.
Authorities announced that Alexis Hill, 44, passed away on Tuesday (23 June) after a customer she was serving at a Dollar General in Columbus, Georgia, opened fire.
The store manager is understood to have been taking payment from Jerome Willis, who was purchasing hamburger buns, when he allegedly pulled out a weapon.
Willis, 33, handed Alexis two crumpled $1 bills during the transaction that totalled up to $1.58 (£1.20) before producing a handgun as she straightened the cash, the Muscogee County Coroner's Office said.
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Local news outlet WTVM reported that the suspect then fled the Dollar General branch, while Alexis was sadly pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Cops then launched a manhunt for Willis and later caught up with him, with police saying that he then began firing bullets at officers.
Both an officer and a police dog were wounded during the shootout. They each sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Willis was killed during the exchange of fire in a car park after he 'did not comply' with verbal commands given by police and was pronounced dead at the scene, a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said.
Alexis' family said she and Willis were 'complete strangers' and did not know each other, while her loved ones paid tribute to the 'sweet and kind' mother-of-three.
Her devastated brother Jonathan told WTVM that his sister was a doting grandmother who thrived off of 'helping everyone she could'.
"She'd give the shirt off her back if she needed to," Jonathan said. "I think one of the last things she did was gather some supplies for someone that was in need.
"That was like one of her last acts of kindness. Even at the crime scene, droves of people were coming over and just telling us how wonderful she was and how helpful she was. She can't be replaced."
He explained that Alexis, who is survived by her three sons, 'wasn't supposed to' even be in Columbus as she had made plans to move to Colorado to be closer to her boys - but she underwent a major surgery 'that delayed things'.
Speaking of his nephews, Jonathan went on: "They were excited and were looking forward to to having their mother move out there with them, to be out be with them and the grandchildren, one big happy family.
"Things took a turn for the worse. She ended up staying here to have some major surgery done and that kind of delayed things. So, she really wasn't supposed to be here."
One of Alexis' sons contacted Jonathan on Tuesday morning to inform him of the tragic news that she had been shot and he told how he 'ran and ran' to the Dollar General store to reach her.
"I got to the crime scene and then everything unfolded," he continued. "My worst nightmare became a reality."
'Senseless'
He praised the 'quickness' of Columbus cops in tracking down the alleged gunman and said their handling of the case has been 'phenomenal'.
Another relative told the news outlet that she has been left heartbroken that Alexis never got the chance to make the move to Colorado to be closer to her sons.
"The saddest part right there is that she won't be able to make it," she said. "And when I tell you that's all she talked about. She was on countdown. She was ready to get to her boys and her grandkids. That was her life."
The family described the deadly incident as 'just senseless', while Jonathan spoke of his horror that his sister was killed over such a 'superficial' reason.
"I think I've cried more in the last 24 hours than in my whole life and I've still got more crying to do," he added.
Jonathan has launched a GoFundMe to raise money to ensure his sister 'receives the farewell she deserves'. At the time of writing, the fundraiser had acquired $17,955 (£13,601) in donations.
It states: "Our family is devastated, Alexis touched many lives with her kindness, generosity, and spirit, and we want to come together to celebrate her life and support her estate during this difficult time.
"The funds raised will go directly toward covering the costs of her memorial service, burial, travel for her next of kin, funeral arrangements, and estate expenses that arise after the funeral, along with stabilisation of her children and grandchildren. Your support will help ease the financial burden on our family and allow us to focus on remembering Alexis and supporting each other."
A spokesperson for Dollar General told LADbible in a statement: "We are deeply saddened over the tragic loss of our Columbus store manager Alexis Hill.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with our employee’s family and friends during this difficult time. We have been in direct contact with the family to offer support and condolences.
"Currently, the store remains closed, and grief counselors will be available for area employees. We are cooperating with local authorities investigating this crime."
The investigation into the deadly shooting remains ongoing. LADbible has contacted the Columbus Police Department for comment.
Olivia Burke