Richmond County authorities are investigating a Monday night shooting death at Smart Grocery on Wrightsboro Road.
Deputies responded to gunfire at 8:50 p.m. Monday and found the victim dead from at least one gunshot, authorities said. Jeremiah Griffin, 32, of the 300 block of Fox Trace, Augusta, was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m. after the coroner’s office arrived.
Authorities have identified the shooter as 16-year-old Sanqwon Berry, but he has not been captured. A second suspect, 21-year-old Tashanna McDaniel, has been charged with murder for driving the shooter to the store, where he got into a verbal argument with Griffin before shooting him.
Tashanna McDaniel, 21 (file mug)
McDaniel allegedly did not report the shooting after driving away from the store without Berry. Once captured, Barry is facing charges of murder and weapon possession. He will be charged as an adult, authorities said.
Meanwhile, another shooting death was reported Tuesday night. At 7:21 p.m., deputies responded to the 2000 block of Telfair Street in reference to shots fired with one person down. Deputies learned one male subject was shot at least one time and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No name has been released, and no suspect information was immediately available.
In the Smart Grocery killing, friends and family were remembering Griffin online under his nickname of “Jerm.” Cherrice Pugh posted his photo and the message, “I can’t believe this. Feel like I’m waken up to a nightmare. I don’t pose to be saying R.I.P Jerm.”
Other readers say the area should be patrolled better. Dominque Huff said the store is definitely the problem.
“They allow them guys from Fox Den to hang out in the store and around the store,” she said. “If you not buying nothing, you shouldn’t be allowed to hang around the store running up to people cars asking for change an trying to make a sale.”
The killing at Smart Grocery comes a year after another homicide at the same convenience store. On Sept. 30, 2022, Zayquantez Jones, 17, was shot at the business and pronounced dead at the hospital.
Darontaye Cummings, 17, of Augusta, has been indicted for malice murder in that case. Cummings has since been charged with two incidents in the jail, including one where he allegedly helped confine another inmate in a mattress bag for an hour while Cummings and other inmates assaulted the man. The victim in the jail assault said the inmates had accused of child molestation and “messing with little girls,” a report says.
