Mun Hyuk Cha, a 44-year-old business owner in Conyers, Georgia, was behind the counter of his establishment, the Magnet Package Store, with his wife on a Sunday evening when a regular customer with known mental health issues, Jeffrey Scott Pitts, entered the premises. An earlier confrontation had occurred that day when Cha retained Pitts' ID until a previous debt for alcohol was settled. Pitts, angered by the situation, brandished a handgun and forcibly took back his identification before leaving.
Later that same day, Pitts returned to the liquor store. This time, he opened fire, shooting Mun Hyuk Cha and another man who was a customer in the store, 39-year-old Otonicar Jimquez Aikens. Aikens, a father of three who was out making a quick purchase for his son's eighth birthday celebration, died at the scene from his gunshot wounds. Cha was critically injured and airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Three other customers inside the store at the time of the shooting were not physically harmed.
After the deadly shooting at the package store, Jeffrey Scott Pitts, 36, fled to his home where he then shot both of his parents. His mother was able to escape the residence and alert the first responding Rockdale County deputy. A shootout between Pitts and law enforcement ensued, during which Pitts ultimately died. An autopsy later determined that Pitts' death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His parents survived the attack and were transported to an Atlanta-area hospital in stable condition.
In the days following the tragic events, the Conyers community rallied around the families of both victims. A candlelight vigil was held in the parking lot of the Magnet Bottle Shop to honor the lives of Mun Hyuk Cha and Jimquez Aikens. Hundreds of mourners and supporters gathered to offer their condolences and support to the grieving families.
