Second suspect arrested in connection with downtown Augusta shooting

This shooting covered an area of ​​two to three city blocks.

GBI said it was unclear what started the fight that led to the shooting.

Several weapons were found at the crime scene, along with other evidence of the crime, including seven vehicles hit by gunfire.

Several businesses were damaged by several gunshots.

People told News 12 they heard what sounded like 100 gunshots. Roundtree said it could not comment on the number of rounds, but said it was a “huge amount”.

The GBI is conducting an independent investigation.

Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Augusta County District Attorney's Office for review.

Was anyone killed?

No one was killed, but three people were injuredincluding the shooter, who was shot and killed by police.

All three suffered non-life-threatening injuries and authorities said they were stable as of Saturday afternoon.

A young woman said her two brothers had been shot. She said Brigham and Seven Whitfield, 23, were taken to hospital. Whitfield has been released from the hospital and is not a suspect, the young woman said.

Brigham's mother told News 12 she wasn't able to see her son Saturday, but officials told her he was stable.

He was the one who was identified as a suspect on Monday.

It could have been worse

Given the number of bullets and the number of people around, it could have been worse.

Roundtree credits the quick action of deputies, who were performing special duties at a nearby business.

“I cannot emphasize the extent of the intervention of our MPs. There is no doubt that without rapid and heroic efforts to neutralize a heavily armed gunman, the risk of mass loss of life was extremely great,” Roundtree said.

He called the incident a senseless and brazen act of violence and a “complete disregard for public safety in yet another act of violence in Richmond County.”

Investigation

The deputies were placed on paid administrative leave, which is normal in a situation like this.

THE The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting in this investigationwhich is also common for an officer-involved shooting.

Roundtree asked members of the public who have information or video of the incident to contact the GBI or its office.

The shooting caused chaos

Phil Ramey was at Garden City Social when the shots rang out. People started running.

“A little shouting. Everyone rushes to the front. It's a small door, so I don't think anyone was stepped on, but people were jostling and elbowing each other – you know, kind of chaos. Chaos,” he said.

“Once the club starts rushing down the side, you leave,” he said. “It’s almost like a big wave. We feel like it’s happening very quickly.

He said that when they came out, the scene was calmer and much of the attention seemed to be focused in front of the Solè restaurant.

When the shooting happened, Joshua Harris and Amy Sparent were in nearby Solè restaurant.

“It was everyone rushing, like the manager was getting us out of there. And yes, there was this man. He just told us we had to go out. And, like, literally pushing us out just to get to safety,” Harris said.

On the sidewalk in front of Solè on Saturday morning, there were shoes that had come off people's feet as well as jewelry that had been dropped in the rush to escape.

Alonzo Butler was also nearby when the shooting started.

“My friend was telling me… he was like, 'You know, the bullet went through you,' and I was like, 'What?'” he said.

“I could have died that night.”

He had mixed emotions.

“What I felt was anger and I was disappointed,” he said.

Is the city center safe?

“I am extremely disappointed with the level of violence and the level of lawlessness that is occurring in our downtown neighborhood late at night,” Mayor Garnett Johnson said.

Still, he said downtown is “extremely” safe.

However, he contacted Governor Brian Kemp for additional resources to patrol downtown, especially late at night. This assistance was provided through the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, according to officials.

Roundtree said there is already an increased presence of officers in the area and state aid will bolster that presence at least through the summer.

Member of the Augusta Commission Jordan Johnson also said downtown is safe. However, “we're not going to give up our downtown to people who want to do bad things,” he said.

Saturday evening, there appeared to be a law enforcement presence on Broad Street. News 12 walked the thoroughfare between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday and we saw:

• An unmarked white Chevrolet Impala with blue lights on, parked in front of Dirty Boots.
• A deputy parked in front of the Firestone Auto Shop.
• A Richmond County Sheriff's Office car parked at Broad and 12th streets.
• A few patrol cars in front of Smoke Shop.
• A Georgia State Patrol car; the policeman had a woman handcuffed.

Will this affect business?

Mayor Johnson said he's heard from business owners that they want a safer downtown, and he committed to making this happen.

At a press conference on Saturday, 20 to 25 business owners confronted Roundtree with complaints and questions, especially about young people who loiter. One told the sheriff he didn't get a response from officers when he called 911.

On Saturday afternoon, when the crime recording was taken down, the city center was very busy.

And on Saturday night, downtown was crowded, parking was tight, and restaurants had customers, even though people told us so. business was not as strong as a normal Saturday.

Everyone was extremely careful, Airrie Henschell, a waiter told us at Mellow Mushroom on Saturday.

His pockets also took a hit.

“The bills aren’t getting paid,” she said.

Aris Reed, co-owner of Lenox on Tenthsaid the jury is still out.

“I really can’t say,” Reed said.

“I can’t say we’ve seen too much influx or any effect on our business,” she said Saturday.

The shooting is not a reflection of Augusta, however, she said.

“It’s very welcoming,” she said, calling the community “really great.”

Yet the downtown community is broken like the windows that bullets tore out early Saturday.

“The only thing that disheartens us is that the reputation of downtown Augusta is tarnished when events like this happen,” she said.

Was it a mass shooting?

This does not meet the definition of a mass shooting, but it could easily have become aRoundtree said.

Mass shootings are on the rise in the United States, and Augusta has not been spared from this trend.

A a May 2023 mass shooting killed two people and injured others at an Augusta motorcycle club in East Boundary. Investigators found 150 shell casings at the scene after what authorities believe was a conflict between groups of bikers.

Local authorities have trained for mass shootings. Just Wednesday, they held a symposium on how to handle emergencies and mass casualty incidents like what Saturday's shooting could have become.

MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2024:

CNN reported that last year the country saw 655 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and that 2021 saw an even higher number: 689.

Between 2019 and 2020, the overall gun homicide rate increased by about 35%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CNN reported that records show mass shootings particularly increased after May 2020, following the trend of an overall increase in gun violence during the pandemic.

Team coverage by News 12 staffers including Audrey Dickherber, Hallie Turner, Jada Walker, Sydney Hood, Will Rioux, Nick Proto, Zayna Haliburton, Ashley Campbell, Estelle Parsley, Aaron Wilson, Mikel Hannah-Harding, Gary Pikula, Steve Byerly and Lois Blanc.

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