Augusta, GA

‘I could have died that night’: Downtown shooting spawns chaos

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2024

‘I could have died that night’: Downtown shooting spawns chaos

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – When gunfire broke out in downtown Augusta early Saturday, it was a scene of “chaos,” witnesses said.

Around 1:15 a.m., there was a gunfight on the sidewalk at 10th and Broad streets, and one of the gunmen fired into a crowd on the sidewalk, authorities said. The gunman was shot by deputies and two other people were wounded.

None of the injuries were life-threatening.

But it was a scary experience for people in nearby businesses.

A witness described the chaos that erupted when the gunfire started.

He was at a nearby bar and said everyone started running when they heard what sounded like automatic gunfire.

“Once the club starts rushing to one side, you leave,” Phil Ramey said. “It’s almost like a big wave you feel it happen real quick.”

He was at Garden City Social when it happened.

“I went over to Garden City, in Garden City, vibing, enjoying the night. And next thing you know, you hear bullet shots coming through, and everyone sprints from the back to the front. Drinks are spilled. It’s a little bit chaotic,” he said.

“I little bit of screaming,” he said. “Everybody’s rushing to the front. It’s a small doorway, so I don’t think anybody got trampled, but people were pushing and shoving and elbows are being thrown – you know, kind of chaos. Chaos.”

He said when they got outside, the scene was more calm, and much of the attention seemed to be focused across the street in front of Solè restaurant.

Deputies were keeping people from walking in front of the business, he said.

“The cops were moving pretty quickly, trying to get everybody out,” he said. “But people like to linger. They like to kind of see what’s going on, so that’s kind of the vibe I got.”

He returned to the area on Saturday morning and was surprised to see the scene was still active with law enforcement.

“I showed up today and there’s cops out here still and yellow tape, so it must have went down pretty seriously,” he said Saturday morning.

A pair of friends told News 12 they were in Solè when it happened.

One said it was nothing but chaos. They said they never heard shots, just screaming.

People hid under tables and shoved one another trying to get out.

When they finally got outside, they saw several men in black ski masks, they said.

They didn’t know if they were the shooter or affiliated with the shooter, but their only thought was to run.

“It was just everyone rushing, like the manager was getting us out of there. And, yeah, there was this man. He was just telling us we need to get out. And, like, literally pushing us out just to get to safety,” Joshua Harris said. “I just know there was, like, a lot of screaming and such, police swarming everywhere, like I heard it out in the distance. It was just cars everywhere.”

Amy Sparent described seeing someone limping and holding an apparently injured area of his body as he walked.

“That’s when we just kind of like ran around the side,” she said. “We kind of did a circle of the building because we really didn’t know what to do.”

Like others, Harris and Sparent described hearing what sounded like hundreds of shots.

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 get away.

Shoes were still on the sidewalk in front of Sole, where they’d come off people’s feet in the rush to get away from the gunfire early June 8.(WRDW/WAGT)

“Nobody knows where it came from,” witness Alonzo Butler said.

He said he saw people getting carried away after being shot.

“And I’m pretty sure they had nothing to do with it,” he said.

He had mixed emotions.

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

Like others, he described many gunshots.

“The rate of fire was so rapid,” he said.

Hours after the shooting, Butler said he was happy to be alive.

“I could have died that night,” he said.

Although many people came to the location Saturday morning to see what was going on, some were reluctant to talk with News 12 about what they knew. Some were hugging each other.

However, a young woman said her two brothers were shot. She said 18-year-old Amazing Brigham and 23-year-old Seven Whitfield were taken to a hospital. Whitfield has been released from the hospital and is not a suspect. Brigham, she says, has not been released.

Brigham’s mother told News 12 she hadn’t been able to see her son but authorities told her he was stable.

PHOTO GALLERY:

It wasn’t a deadly incident, since Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen says he wasn’t involved.

But it easily could have been, considering the number of rounds fired – and it happened just three days after Richmond County public safety agencies gathered for a symposium on preparing for active-shooter incidents and other potential mass casualties.

The incident is among the latest in an outbreak of deadly violence that’s claimed more than 150 lives across the CSRA in a little over two years.

The outbreak has affected communities large and small on both sides of the Savannah River, but as the largest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.

Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs.

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Augusta, GA

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

Published

3 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new gourmet popcorn shop has opened on Broad Street, bringing a Chicago-style twist to downtown Augusta.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts, located at 716 Broad Street next to the Miller Theater, opened late last year. Owner Sheila Jones moved to Augusta from Chicago, where she said gourmet popcorn has a strong following.

“I’m from Chicago where gourmet popcorn is kind of a big deal,” Jones said.

Specialty flavors made in house

The shop offers specialty flavors including caramel, strawberry drizzle, peppermint, Oreo, green apple, and peanut butter — all made in house. Jones said the experience starts before customers even reach the counter.

“The smell is part of the experience. Green apple, strawberry, strawberry drizzle with chocolate. We have a new peanut butter flavor I just did,” Jones said.

A business built for family

Jones said her move to Augusta and her decision to open the business were driven by her son, who is on the autism spectrum. She said she believed he would be more comfortable in Augusta and wanted to build something that would benefit him long-term.

“I wanted him to have something when he gets older. He has a job already if he wants one. He already has a business,” Jones said.

Jones said starting the business has been harder than she expected. She handles most operations herself, with some help from family. She said the purpose behind the shop keeps her motivated.

“Coming into this every day is fulfilling because I built it. I’m building it and I just wanna see how high we’ll go,” Jones said.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop is also holding a pop-up Saturday at noon on Gordon Highway.

Here’s a link to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584084467886#

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Augusta, GA

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A deputy was fired for having sex with another deputy’s wife while on duty, according to personnel documents from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

And it’s not the first time his love life has raised questions − he left a job in Aiken County after a similar problem.

Sgt. Christopher Chavous was dismissed after the matter was reported by the deputy whose wife was allegedly having the relations with now-fired deputy, according to the documents.

Chavous admitted it when confronted by an investigator on Feb. 16, according to the documents.

He said he first slept with her before Christmas and had continued doing so at least one or two times a week, according to the documents.

He also admitted that he’d done so at least once while on duty, according to the documents.

The husband said he’d suspected for some time that his wife had been sleeping with another deputy, but he initially didn’t know who it was.

Eventually, the husband tracked his wife on his phone to an apartment he knew belonged to Chavous, according to the documents.

Additionally, the husband showed Sgt. Walter McNeil, who was investigating the allegations, a video he’d obtained that showed his wife standing in the doorway of the apartment while kissing Chavous.

The husband also provided additional images of his wife’s car at the complex, as well as Chavous’ unmarked patrol car there.

The husband “advised that he doesn’t feel comfortable with the fact that Sgt. Chavous is in a peer support role with the agency, and he sleeps around with other Deputies wives,” McNeil wrote.

When confronted by internal affairs, Chavous admitted he’d been sleeping with the other deputy’s wife for about a month and a half, according to the documents. Chavous said he was going through a divorce of his own, according to the documents.

“It is imperative for all employees of this agency to always demonstrate sound judgment, both on and off duty,” McNeil wrote in the report. “Additionally, staff members must conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the integrity and reputation of the Sheriff’s Office. The actions of Sgt. Chavous fell short of these established standards.”

The personnel documents state the final disposition for Chavous, who also runs the Support 1 charity: “Termination.”

In response to the action, Chavous told News 12:

“I will have to refer to this to my counsel. I am appealing the decision.”

He faces certain investigation by the state.

Anytime a law enforcement officer is fired in the state, it automatically triggers an investigation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.

Here’s a look at his POST records so far:

News 12 learned that before he came to Richmond County, Chavous retired from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 after a complaint of an inappropriate relationship with a confidential informant.

These sex scandals seem to be a recurring problem for law enforcement agencies across the CSRA:

In January, we reported that Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer took action to demote two employees for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship while on duty, according to officials.
In December, we reported that deputy Diana Santiago was arrested after admitting to an “intimate relationship” with a member of a gang and using Richmond County Sheriff’s Office databases to look up information for that member while on duty.
In 2023, we reported that an open microphone in a patrol car revealed that two supervisors had sex during working hours. They were demoted.
Two other Richmond County deputies were fired after their relationship was uncovered. They were fired not for the relationship but for lying about it.
In 2023, we reported that a deputy had sex with a woman who’d called 911. He was put on probation for one year.
In addition, Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has been involved in a lawsuit by a former employee who alleges he was involved in sexual harassment.

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Augusta, GA

SAFETY ALERT: Recalled fried rice could have been sold in Augusta

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

SAFETY ALERT: Recalled fried rice could have been sold in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta-area residents could have purchased fried rice that was recently recalled because it may contain glass pieces.

The brand − Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice − was sold at Costco, according to a recall letter received by a local customer.

Ajinomoto Foods North America in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a voluntary recall of some lots because it may contain glass. The affected products have “best by” codes ranging from 110825 through 011227.

It’s the same recall that was issued a few days ago for store-brand chicken fried rice that was sold at Trader Joe’s stores.

Althogh the name is different, it all comes from Ajinomoto.

Nearly 3.4 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice products sold at Trader Joe's stores... — Nearly 3.4 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice products sold at Trader Joe’s stores and in Canada because they may contain pieces of glass(US Department of Agriculture)

The Trader Joe’s version was sold in 20-ounce plastic bags. The affected packages have best-by dates of Sept. 8 through Nov. 17, 2026. The products are stamped with the establishment number P-18356 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The problem was detected after four consumers complained of finding glass. No injuries have been reported. Consumers should avoid eating the product and throw it away or return it to the store where it was purchased.

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