Murder charge filed after Augusta property manager killed in pool incident

Tyler Preston, suspect

Date: May 28, 2025

A 20-year-old Hephzibah man has been arrested and charged with murder following the fatal shooting of a property manager at McArthur Park Apartments in Augusta.

Tyler Lamont Preston was taken into custody Friday and remains jailed at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. He is accused of shooting Kameron Mason, 28, on Thursday night during an incident that may have stemmed from a dispute at the apartment complex’s pool.

According to the arrest warrant, the shooting occurred at approximately 10:22 p.m. at the complex at 101 Little Rock Drive. When deputies arrived, they found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. Mason was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:36 p.m., according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.

Kameron Mason was killed Thursday night at MacArthur Park Apartments, where he was reportedly a property manager.

The second victim, who has not been identified, was transported to Wellstar MCG Health for treatment. Their condition has not been released.

Witnesses told investigators that the incident may have followed a confrontation involving a group of individuals who refused to leave the complex’s pool area. Unauthorized use of the pool by non-residents has reportedly been a recurring issue at the complex.

In response to ongoing concerns, residents say the complex had recently upgraded security, including the installation of cameras in every building and enhanced access to gates and amenities.

Preston has no prior charges in Richmond County, according to online court records.

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The Author

Greg Rickabaugh is an award-winning crime reporter in the Augusta-Aiken area with experience writing for The Augusta Chronicle and serving as publisher of The Jail Report. He also owns AugustaCrime.com. Rickabaugh is a 1994 graduate of the University of South Carolina and has appeared on several crime documentaries on the Investigation Discovery channel. He is married with two daughters.

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