A 21-year-old man was killed early Monday in a shooting on Hines Street in Augusta, and a suspect is wanted for questioning in the death, according to Lt. James Kelly of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded around 2:10 a.m. to reports of shots fired in the 500 block of Hines Street and found Thaddeus Lamont Kirkland (pictured) suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Kirkland was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:55 a.m. by the Richmond County Coroner’s Office.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wesby, 24, is wanted for questioning in connection with the homicide. Wesby is described as 6 feet tall, approximately 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and is known to frequent the Waynesboro area.
Anyone who encounters Wesby or has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Sgt. Lucas Heise or an on-call investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1026 or 706-821-1020.
The death marks the first homicide of 2026 in Richmond County. There were 34 people killed by homicide last year, which was down from 50 deaths the previous year.
Here are last year’s homicide victims:
Kirby Murray
Deunte Demario Myers
Sandra Moulton & Carmen Ray
Heavaugh Leigene Brooks
Martin Louis Gordon
Charley Creech
Devon Donelle McClain
Melissa and Elizabeth Domingo
Bryson Murray
Antoine Stokes
Deandra Howell
Carl Linwood Dednam, Jr.
Raekwon Brinson
Solomon Navare
Jerome Burley
Brandon Johnson
Kameron Scott Mason
Jaquavious Watkins
Zyshawn Demarcus Franklin
Tracy Earl Waddell
Devon Shade
Janie Crowder
Akki Lamar Pauley
Yolanda Epps
Alvin Rivers
James Andrews Wise
Damien Barry Patrick
Davonta Lamar McCloud
Lillie Sapp
Abdalla Rubeha
Quincy Fields
Antonio McBride
