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NEED TO KNOW
- Delano Middleton is accused of fatally stabbing 18-year-old J.T. Schroeder, who police say kicked the suspect’s shopping cart
- Middleton previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in 2023 and was released after two years behind bars
- Schroeder donated his organs following his death
The 18-year-old who was fatally stabbed after authorities say he kicked a man’s shopping cart donated his organs to those in need.
J.T. Schroeder, who was identified in a GoFundMe, died on Oct. 27, four days after he was stabbed following the altercation at a Walmart in Georgia, the Chatham County Police Department said.
Delano Middleton, 48, has since been charged with murder in connection with the stabbing, court records indicate.
It is not yet clear if Middleton has entered a plea.
Middleton has a previous criminal history. In 2023, he entered a negotiated guilty plea to a charge of aggravated assault stemming from two years prior, according to state court records.
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According to a 2021 indictment reviewed by PEOPLE, Middleton was accused of stabbing the victim.
WTOC spoke to a woman who said she was the victim of the 2021 assault and said she was stabbed four times.
“I asked him did he needed help finding his vehicle, and he shoved a cart over on top of me and just started stabbing me,” Erica Young told WTOC.
Court records indicate that Middleton was sentenced to two years in prison for the assault. WTOC reported that he received credit for time served and was released.
Schroeder’s father, also named J.T., previously told WJCL that the police department’s claim that his son kicked a shopping cart didn’t tell the full story.
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“My son was never, ever confrontational unless he was confronted first,” the elder Schroeder told the station.
WTOC reported that staff at Memorial Health hospital in Savannah held an honor walk as his body was wheeled to an operating room so his organs could be donated.
“Although losing J.T. was devastating, let this bring light to becoming an organ donor,” Dr. James Dunne told the outlet. “So if there’s one message I want to communicate to the community is, please consider that. We don’t get, as individuals, get a chance to save someone’s life. But this is one way in which we all can save multiple lives.”
