A man with a history of violent crime is facing charges for the fatal stabbing of a teenager at a Walmart in Georgia.
Authorities in Savannah reported that 48-year-old Delano Middleton allegedly attacked J.T. Schroeder, an 18-year-old, on October 23 at a Walmart store. The incident, which police described as an “altercation,” resulted in Schroeder being injured, and he sadly succumbed to his injuries four days later, as noted by the Chatham County Police Department on X.
Middleton now faces murder charges in connection with the stabbing. WTOC reported that the altercation began when Schroeder allegedly kicked Middleton’s shopping cart.
The outlet also highlighted Middleton’s prior criminal record, noting that he had previously stabbed a woman multiple times four years ago.
Schroeder was remembered in his obituary as having aspirations of joining the merchant navy, with a sponsorship already in place to support his dreams.
Schroeder had dreams of becoming a merchant Marine and already had a sponsorship, according to his obituary.
“The world lost a beautiful soul far too soon,” his obituary states. “JT loved people deeply and had a smile that could light up any room. His heart was so big that he had countless friends, each one feeling like they were his favorite. He had a way of making everyone feel seen and included, whether you were a lifelong friend or someone he’d just met.”
The 18-year-old donated organs after his death, according to the obituary, and gave “the gift of life to seven families.”
Criminal past
On Oct. 22, 2021, Erica Young said, Middleton walked into the U-Haul store she was working at and stole keys that were behind the desk. Then, he went outside where he planned on taking a truck, WTOC reported.
Middleton then stabbed Young in the stomach and head several times in an attack she said was unprovoked, according to the outlet.
“When I was on the ground, he told me that he wanted to watch me bleed out,” Young said. “I’ve never met him before that day, never had any contact with him.”
J.T. Schroeder was 18 when he died. (Facebook/Brittany Dell Orco)
In December 2023, Middleton took a negotiated plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated assault. As part of the deal, Middleton spent two years in prison followed by eight years of probation.
Young said the punishment was too lenient and only encouraged him to be violent in the future.
“Honestly, this is my true opinion on it,” Young said. “He got away with the stabbing of me, so he thought he could get away with it again.”
The stabbing victim said Schroeder’s death made her wish she had fought for a harsher sentence.
Walmart in Savannah, Ga. (Google Maps)
“I’m so sorry for their loss,” Young said. “It made me wish I fought more. Then he wouldn’t have been able to get out of the streets. But I have two kids, so I fled. We packed up our entire house.”
Middleton is being held on no bond at the Chatham County Jail.
