Tia Vidon Keith walked into Subhanallah Food Mart in Gainesville, Georgia, just after 9:30 p.m. to buy a few items. When she returned to her car, her former live-in boyfriend was waiting in the passenger seat. He shot her multiple times. She escaped and ran back inside the store for help. He chased her down. And when she fell near a bathroom, he stood over her and fired several more rounds, killing the 44-year-old hairstylist on the convenience store floor, according to the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
Background
Antwane Sintell Thurmond, 45, had been in a relationship with Keith and lived with her at some point, deputies confirmed. The nature of their breakup remains unclear, but prosecutors have charged him with domestic violence aggravated assault alongside murder charges, indicating the case involves intimate partner violence. Keith owned her own salon, according to her Facebook page, where she built a reputation as a glamorous hairstylist with a generous spirit.
She was just a sweet person that cared about how she looked and would give to anybody, said Keith's cousin Charlotte Sosebee in comments to WSB-TV. Her family is now grappling with the loss of someone they describe as deeply loved.
The shooting unfolded outside and inside Subhanallah Food Mart, a convenience store in the Metro Atlanta area. Thurmond had apparently slipped into Keith's car while she was inside shopping, deputies said, lying in wait for her return. The ambush-style attack left Keith wounded but alive enough to flee back toward the store, where surveillance video captured her final desperate moments.
The Investigation
Hall County Sheriff's Office detectives have charged Thurmond with malice murder, felony murder, and domestic violence aggravated assault. He is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, approximately 212 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, multiple tattoos including a neck tattoo reading ROMANS 12:19, a prosthetic lower left leg, and a slight limp.
Investigators have recovered Thurmond's vehicle and executed a search warrant at his Metro Atlanta residence. Despite these efforts, he remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, according to the sheriff's office.
Detectives have not released a potential motive for the killing. The store clerk who called 911 was unharmed along with another customer present during the attack.
Anyone with information on Thurmond's whereabouts is asked to contact the Hall County Sheriff's Office at 770-503-3232 or email intelrequest@hallcounty.org. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Key Takeaways
- Tia Vidon Keith, 44, was shot multiple times inside her car and then again after fleeing into a Gainesville convenience store where she died
- Antwane Sintell Thurmond, her ex-live-in boyfriend, is charged with malice murder, felony murder, and domestic violence aggravated assault
- The suspect ambushed Keith by waiting in her passenger seat while she shopped at Subhanallah Food Mart
- Thurmond remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous; he has a prosthetic leg and walks with a limp
What's Next
Hall County detectives continue to search for Thurmond, who fled the scene in his own vehicle after the shooting. No court dates have been set as the suspect remains uncaptured. Investigators are urging anyone with information about his location to come forward immediately, emphasizing that he should not be approached given his armed and dangerous status.
Keith's family has asked the public to remember her for her warm heart, sense of humor, and generosity rather than the violent manner of her death.