The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of shots fired in downtown Augusta in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 8.
According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, officers responded to the 10th block of Broad Street at approximately 1:13 a.m. When deputies arrived they located a male suspect with an assault rifle who had opened fire into a crowd, hitting an unknown amount of people.
“Deputies on scene returned fire, striking the male suspect. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for his injuries,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene.
On Saturday afternoon, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson released the following statement:
“My thoughts and prayers are with all that were impacted by last night’s senseless act of violence. The safety of Augusta-Richmond County residents and visitors remains my upmost concern and priority. To that end, the Office of the Mayor, in conjunction with Sheriff Richard Roundtree, have spoken with Governor Brian Kemp and requested additional state resources, including Georgia State Patrol Officers and the Department of Natural Resources, to assist the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with increased patrols and crowd control efforts.
I am thankful for the swift actions of Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. The responding officers prevented potential loss of life. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Augusta is a safe place to visit, work, play and pray.
Law enforcement is seeking eyewitnesses. Please contact Georgia Bureau of Investigation or Richmond County Sheriff’s Office if you witnessed or have any information regarding this incident.”
No additional information is available at this time.
