Former University of Georgia football player accused of gunning down store clerk, police say

A former wide recover with the University of Georgia football team is accused of murdering a Georgia store clerk a year ago.

On March 16, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Ahkil Nasir Crumpton in connection to the murder of Elijah Wood.

In March 2021, Wood was shot at a RaceTrac Gas station where he worked in Oconee County, Georgia, according to CBS 46. Video surveillance showed the killing and the FBI and the store provided reward money.

The sheriff’s office said they identified Crumpton as the suspect after ballistic data was tested. Shell casings from the Georgia store matched a crime scene in Philadelphia — where Crumpton was from.

The shooter was the same person in both cases, police said, and Crumpton was arrested.

Crumpton was a football player for the Georgia Bulldogs between 2017 and 2018 and a student at the school until 2021, according to the sheriff’s office.

“For the past year we have seen the pain, agony, and frustrations this murder has brought to Elijah’s family, friends, and to our community. We all know this arrest will not bring Elijah back, but we hope his family, friends, and this community can now begin the healing process,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We also know that the fight is not over. We must now successfully prosecute the case in a court of law.

The University of Georgia released a statement in the aftermath of the news, according to CBS 46.

“We were stunned to learn that the suspect in this horrific crime is a former UGA student-athlete,” it read. “We offer our heartfelt sympathy to Elijah Wood’s family. We defer to the FBI, ATF and Oconee County Sheriff’s Office for any further comments regarding this ongoing investigation.”