Families of Willie Tate and Zaila Akida mourning after Giant grocery store shooting

July 20, 2024

Alex Tate’s favorite memories of his father, Willie Tate, are of their travels together.

The 11-year-old and his dad went to WWE wrestling shows and on a cruise trip to the Bahamas.

But instead of looking forward to their next adventure together, Alex spent Thursday releasing balloons in his father’s memory nearly a week after the security guard was fatally shot in a Prince George’s County grocery store.

“We have to support him, protect him and help him through this,” said Earlene Tate, 47, Alex’s aunt. “As a young man, he shouldn’t have to go through this. His father should be here.”

Prince George’s police are still piecing together what happened the morning of Nov. 4, when they say Willie Tate, 43, and Zaila Akida, 20, fatally shot each other inside a Giant.

Akida was “attempting to commit a theft” when Tate approached her at the front lobby of the store, police said, according to an initial investigation. Police have not said what she was accused of attempting to steal.

Akida then took a gun out of her backpack and shot at Tate, who fired back at her, according to police. Prince George’s homicide-unit detectives have “recovered and reviewed video from within the store which captures the incident,” the police department said in a statement.

Security guard, customer fatally shot at Giant grocery store in Md.

Officers responded to the Giant at Eastover Shopping Center on Audrey Lane in Oxon Hill about 10:25 a.m. and found Tate and Akida with gunshot wounds, police said. Tate died at the scene, and Akida was transported to a hospital, where she died.

Joseph Caleb, an attorney for Akida’s family, said that Akida was a beloved sister and daughter who was gainfully employed and that the shoplifting accusations have come as a shock to her family. Caleb said that they have not seen any video footage and that it’s too soon to trust the preliminary investigation without more information.

“The family knows her to be a hard-working young lady who didn’t shoplift, didn’t steal and was able to afford to purchase things that she needed and wanted,” Caleb said. “No one knows of any reason why she would even do what she’s been accused of doing.”

For Tate’s family, the loss of the husband, brother and friend has rippled through his community. His sister, Earlene Tate, held a candlelight vigil Wednesday for him in Baltimore, where Willie Tate is from. The “life of the party,” Tate always had a joke to tell and could lift anyone’s spirit with his bright smile and laughter, his sister said. His homemade sweet potato pie was a favorite at Thanksgiving.

Tate had started at the Oxon Hill grocery store to be closer to his new home in Fredericksburg, Va., a shorter commute than his route from Baltimore. He lived there with his wife, Shaunte Bomar-Tate, and the couple recently celebrated their first anniversary, Earlene Tate said. Willie Tate had four children, with Alex being the youngest, and four stepchildren.

“With his job, he was protecting people. That was one of the things that he loved to do,” Earlene Tate said. “And unfortunately that job of protecting people took his life.”

Felismina Andrade, Giant’s director of external communications and community relations, said in a statement that the company is “cooperating in earnest with Prince George’s police as they continue investigating” and “will support a transparent process for our community and the families as they begin the healing process.”

The company that employed Willie Tate, Wolf Professional Security, declined to answer questions regarding Tate’s employment and the company’s security protocols.

The double shooting was the second fatal incident at Eastover Shopping Center in the same week. The Prince George’s police have a satellite station in the shopping center.

The department said investigators “continue to conduct follow-up work on this case” and encourage any additional witnesses to contact police.

Tate once transformed his son Alex’s bedroom into a train station, building the station, cars and people for Alex to play with, said Camille McNicol, 38, Alex’s mother. The “special bond” they shared was felt in each moment they spent together, she said.

When asked how he would describe his father on Thursday, Alex said, “lovable.”

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