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11/29/25

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WHITEMARSH ISLAND, Ga. — An 18-year-old's life ended in a burst of violence outside a suburban Walmart, igniting outrage over a suspect's violent past and questions about the justice system's safeguards.

J.T. Schroeder, a recent high school graduate known for his infectious smile and quiet generosity, became the latest victim of a random street altercation on Oct. 23, 2025, when a fleeting dispute over a shopping cart escalated into a fatal stabbing. The incident unfolded around 5:50 p.m. in the parking lot of the Walmart on Highway 80 in Whitemarsh Island, a quiet coastal community just east of Savannah.

According to police reports and surveillance footage reviewed in court, Schroeder was walking through the store's self-checkout area when he encountered 48-year-old Delano Middleton. Witnesses described a tense exchange, with the two men exchanging heated words and racial slurs as Middleton prepared to leave with his cart. As Middleton pushed the cart toward the exit, Schroeder allegedly kicked it lightly while passing by—a gesture investigators said sparked the confrontation.

Middleton, surveillance video shows, drew a silver pocketknife with a 3-inch blade from his pocket. Outside in the lot, the argument reignited. Eyewitnesses, including fellow shoppers who had followed the pair, reported seeing Middleton lunge at Schroeder, stabbing him multiple times—up to 10 wounds, many concentrated in the neck and throat. "It happened so fast," one witness, a 35-year-old mother who was loading groceries into her SUV nearby, told investigators. "The kid just collapsed, blood everywhere. The man didn't even run; he stood there like he was waiting for the cops."

Chatham County officers arrived within minutes to find Schroeder bleeding profusely on the asphalt. Paramedics rushed him to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where he clung to life for four agonizing days on a ventilator. On Oct. 27, surrounded by family, Schroeder was taken off life support. In a final act of compassion that moved hospital staff, his organs—donated per his driver's license—were harvested during an emotional "honor walk" on Oct. 31. Dozens of doctors, nurses, and relatives lined the corridors, applauding the teen whose kidneys, heart, and lungs would save or extend lives for others on Georgia's transplant waiting list of more than 3,000.

Middleton was detained at the scene but not immediately arrested, as detectives gathered evidence. On Oct. 30, he was charged with felony murder. During a preliminary hearing on Nov. 20, Detective Jonathan Puhala detailed the knife's role and the video evidence, binding the case over for superior court. Middleton, who remains jailed without bond, faces life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors have cited his probation status—stemming from a 2021 random stabbing of a woman that earned him early release—as a factor in the tragedy, though the district attorney's office has refrained from further comment to preserve trial fairness.

Schroeder's father, J.T. Sr., disputes the narrative of his son as the instigator. "My boy was never confrontational unless confronted first," he said, voice breaking as he recalled racing to the scene. "I got there as fast as I could and saw blood everywhere. He was stabbed until he bled out." Erica Young, the 2021 victim who survived multiple knife wounds from Middleton, echoed the grief in an exclusive interview, calling the killing "the system failing that kid's family all over again." She described her own unprovoked attack in broad daylight, questioning how a repeat offender could roam free.

The Whitemarsh Island community, tight-knit and family-oriented, has rallied around the Schroeders. A memorial service on Nov. 2 at Fox & Weeks Funeral Home drew hundreds, with friends sharing stories of J.T.'s love for people and his plans to study marine biology. A GoFundMe for the family has raised over $50,000, fueled by posts lamenting the loss of "a light too bright for this world." Local leaders, including Chatham County Commissioner Tim Guhl, condemned the violence at a Nov. 5 town hall, urging tougher probation monitoring. "This shouldn't happen in our backyard," Guhl said. "We're demanding answers on why history repeated itself."

As the case advances, residents grapple with a stark reminder of everyday perils. Schroeder's legacy, through his donations, offers a sliver of solace amid the sorrow.

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at November 29, 2025