Former General Mills Employee Sentenced to Life in Prison in Fatal Covington Workplace Shooting

COVINGTON, Ga. — A man who admitted to fatally shooting his coworker inside a Covington General Mills facility in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison plus five years after pleading guilty but mentally ill to multiple charges, prosecutors announced.

Jalen Brown entered the plea Monday morning, May 11, 2026, just before jury selection was scheduled to begin.

According to prosecutors, Brown pleaded guilty but mentally ill to felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The charges stem from the May 29, 2022, shooting death of Zachary Foster at the General Mills plant in Covington.

Authorities said Brown had been displaying increasingly paranoid behavior prior to the shooting, which prosecutors said was linked to mental health issues aggravated by drug use.

Investigators said Brown brought a handgun to work on the day of the shooting. When supervisors approached him about his behavior, Brown allegedly ran to another area of the plant, retrieved a firearm from a bag, and shot Foster.

According to prosecutors, Brown fled the facility after the shooting. A coworker followed him in an effort to keep him in sight while another person driving nearby saw Brown running with a firearm and attempted to back away.

Authorities said Brown then fired additional shots toward both the coworker and the person inside the vehicle.

Officers with the Covington Police Department arrived shortly afterward and took Brown into custody.

During an interview with investigators, Brown admitted to shooting Foster and reportedly described hearing voices and experiencing paranoia involving events that had not occurred.

Prosecutors said a bag discovered near the General Mills facility two days later contained Brown’s identification documents and more than 14 ounces of marijuana.

Under Georgia law, defendants who plead guilty but mentally ill receive the same sentence as defendants who plead guilty. However, the law allows the Georgia Department of Corrections to refer a qualifying inmate for temporary hospitalization at a secure facility operated by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The prosecution team included Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Jillian Hall and Assistant District Attorney Madison Caito.

The investigation was conducted by the Covington Police Department with assistance from the GBI Crime Lab.