AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta hotel shooting led to the arrest of a 31-year-old man, according to the incident report from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

On July 6, around 11:44 a.m., deputies responded to Motel 6, 201 Boy Scout Road, for a 41-year-old man with a gunshot wound, according to the incident report from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The witness said the victim worked at the hotel and would go into vacant rooms to ensure no one was “squatting in the room.”

When they got to room 233 and opened it, they found Darren Rogers inside smoking, the report states.

Officials say Rogers was trespassing due to not renting the room.

Rogers was told to leave, and as he left, he started arguing with the victim, according to the report.

This is when the suspect allegedly hit the victim and pulled out a knife before the two wrestled over the knife.

After the knife was dropped, Rogers allegedly pulled out a gun and the two started fighting over it. The gun went off and the victim was shot in the stomach.

The witness picked up the knife that was dropped and started stabbing the suspect in an attempt to get him to drop the gun. After being stabbed, the two were still fighting over the gun, when another witness came up and tackled the suspect.

Officials say the gun fell to the ground and Roger ran towards I-20. The second witness tackled the suspect to the grass near the exit ramp before deputies arrived.

The report states Rogers was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for the stab wound.

Rogers was booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center on Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm or knife during a crime.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect accused of shooting a victim after they opened their front door, authorities announced Thursday.

Deputies say they responded to the 1000 block of McNutt Way on July 7 about an aggravated assault that happened around 10 p.m.

When deputies arrived, the victim told deputies the suspect, Derick Kilgore, 40, knocked on her front door – but when she answered, he shot her, officials say.

A witness told deputies Kilgore and his wife came to visit her, even though she did not want Kilgore on her property.

Kilgore went outside, she told officials, then she heard a gunshot.

When Kilgore came back inside to get his belongings, she asked what he was shooting, she told authorities.

Kilgore responded that he “felt like shooting,” according to the witness.

The witness told officials Kilgore’s wife brought her over to the victim’s camper, and inside was the victim who had been shot.

According to authorities, the witness said Kilgore and his wife left in an unknown dark blue Durango.

Kilgore is described by officials to be five feet and seven inches in height and weighing around 165 pounds.

He is known to frequent the areas of McNutt Way and Bennock Mill Road, according to authorities.

Any information concerning Kilgore, please contact Investigator Robert Ferraro at 706-821-1464, or any on-duty Investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1020 or 706-821-1080.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Mini Theater has been producing, hosting performances and educating youths for almost 50 years.

The theater continues to serve as a space for youth to pursue education in the arts, no matter their financial status.

The drama school has been planning an expansion of a 250-seat theater since 2008.

It’s a concept more than 16 years in the making.

Over the years, it’s had trouble getting the funds necessary to make that a reality.

The Augusta Commission poured SPLOST money into the theater and has given multiple extensions.

The scope of the project ultimately had to be cut down because the theater couldn’t raise enough funds to meet the deadline.

According to the commission’s Dec. 5 meeting, the scope of the project was reduced by 60%. Instead of 250 seats, the new theater will only have 100.

Nevertheless, it is still an accomplishment for the school to move to a more updated space with state-of-the-art equipment to continue to carry on its mission of not only teaching drama and theatrical classes, but life skills for the students to take with them for the rest of their lives.

Tyrone Butler says his vision of what the mini theater is supposed to capture is about to come true.

“I want to create something for people like me, people like me, who got the desire, got the talent,” said Butler.

The expansion will finally give his students a proper theater and space for the community to watch.

Butler says the same mentality of giving people an opportunity 50 years ago is being shown back.

“The community came together, really came together. And our alumni, they were amazing, you know, from all over the country. We have 8000 alums out there. And they gave to the campaign,” said Butler.

Not all alumni go on to continue the arts, but it’s the lessons his staff instilled in Augusta’s youth that matter.

“The band director at Gleaners High School. He took piano lessons right here will several out teachers with students who took art that teaching art in the school system right here. And but they started here. We have students that have gone to Broadway,” said Butler.

The final phase of a project that Butler hopes will continue to inspire the next generation of successful adults.

“We just use the arts to get there,” he said.

Butler says groundbreaking will start in early October and is expected to finish by the organization’s 50th anniversary next year.

Many of the school’s plays focus on social issues and education like drug awareness and education.

As it has been in the past, the Augusta Mini Theater aims to remain a pillar of the community.

The theatre is also preparing to send its students over to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to perform for the International Black Theatre Festival on August 3.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.