Augusta, GA
Augusta Mall shooting sends fear, anger through shoppers
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A shooting sent people scrambling out the doors of the Augusta Mall on Thursday afternoon.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to the scene of shots fired with one person down at the Augusta Mall.
Dispatch says the first call came in at 3:38 p.m. to 3450 Wrightsboro Road on the Fourth of July.
Upon arrival, deputies located one male who had been shot at least once.
The man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
On scene, News 12 saw floods of people running out of the mall and a lot of frustration from shoppers looking for holiday deals.
It’s a situation many say is unforgettable, but unfortunately not surprising.
Rochelle Giet says what seemed to be a typical Fourth of July at the mall quickly turned south.
“I saw people running and screaming already. There are a lot of people running, going to the food court screaming,” said Giet.
Giet says she and 20 other people in Victoria’s Secret had to hide in a storage closet for more than 40 minutes.
She says that moment was an unfortunate wake-up call for her.
“I cannot imagine that. Fourth of July. You want to go somewhere because there’s a lot of sales stuff like that. And you are not safe anymore,” said Giet.
This incident is a similar situation that happened back in April with shots fired and a fatal shooting at the mall in 2020.
Giet says she wishes she doesn’t have to be on high alert while shopping but she has no choice.
“It’s always taped to my mind. It comes to my mind or maybe there is a shooting here again and again,” she said.
It’s a feeling Giet says she hopes more people pay attention to in the future.
“I hope that the security personnel there will be more tightened for their security and especially for keeping the people going inside the mall,” said Giet.
News 12 started receiving calls about the incident around 3:45 p.m.
Central EMS and the Augusta Fire Department also responded to the scene.
Around 4:10 p.m., several people were seen leaving the mall. Deputies were seen getting brown evidence bags out of their patrol cars.
“It all happened so fast and quickly as I was headed towards Dick’s Sporting Goods,” said a woman who was on scene. “What got me was that they didn’t even evacuate until like 30 to 45 minutes later. Only could imagine how many people did or could have gotten hurt.”
A store manager tells us that several of her employees heard the gunshots. She said she has a plan in place for when incidents like this happen.
She says her store is losing employees over these situations that seem to happen more frequently at the mall.
Officials did not release any information regarding possible suspects.
Team coverage by News 12 staff members including Lois White, Destiny Bernash, William Rioux, Brionna Law, Julius Evans, Gary Pikula, Richard Rogers, Riley Hale and Sarah Lusk.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Volunteers came together Saturday to help clean up an Augusta neighborhood.
The cleanup took place on Wheeless Road and Dorn Road.
Jeremiah Atkinson started the event as a way to clean up trash dumped in the area and help the community.
He said they had at least 30 bags picked up as of Saturday morning.
“My message is if you see one piece of trash, pick it up and help Augusta clean it up because I feel like that would be more efficient, just pick up one piece of trash a day, just one to help out the community,” Atkinson said.
Organizers also provided snacks for volunteers.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
TikToker cleans father’s hoarded house – and goes viral
Madison Lovelle posts videos online while going through and cleaning her childhood home after her father died.
Housing costs are often the biggest Georgians deal with every month, so it’s important to try and save money where possible.
Last week, WalletHub released its ranking of the most affordable cities to buy a home. It analyzed 300 cities based on 10 metrics, with the biggest weight going to housing affordability and cost per square foot.
Best city to buy a home in Georgia?
Augusta ranked the highest among Georgia cities, ranking 8th overall and 3rd best in the midsized cities list.
Augusta real estate prices
According to Zillow, as of March, the median list price for a house in Georgia is $205,000 with a median sale price of $187,283. About 57% of sales are under the list price.
The average rent, as of April, is $1,365 per month.
Augusta cost of living
The MIT Living Wage Calculator reports the hourly pay needed to support yourself and/or your family, assuming full-time employment. For Richmond County (Augusta), it’s $20.31 for one adult, $28.16 for a two-adult household with one working, and $14.08 for a two-adult household with both working.
Children obviously increase the wage needed. Depending on how many adults are working, the necessary pay figures may increase by up to $13 for just one child, with more needed for additional children.
Worst city to buy a home in Georgia?
The Georgia city with the lowest ranking on the list overall was Sandy Springs. However, with 300 cities, landing at No. 151 doesn’t make it nearly the worst in the nation. Sandy Springs was No. 56 on the small cities list.
What are the best cities to buy a home in US?
- Flint, MI
- Detroit, MI
- Surprise, AZ
- Yuma, AZ
- Akron, OH
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Memphis, TN
- Augusta, GA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Cleveland, OH
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Senate candidate Derek Dooley made several visits to the area on Friday.
Dooley had stops in both Lincolnton and Augusta on May 29 and was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for his “Georgia First” tour. He spoke about one of the issues he finds in politics.
“But the other piece of it is the corruption. People sit on these committees. They have access to information that none of us have. And then you look up 2 or 3 years down the road and their wealth is just skyrocketing,” Dooley said. “You’re outperforming every investor out there. And I think it’s shameful. I think it erodes trust. It’s something that I will never do.”
“Politicians were out there getting paid. They were coming back home. They’re raising money and campaigning while the government shut down,” Kemp said. “What Derek’s saying, if he’s up there, we’re not going to allow legislators to get paid. We’re going to take away their benefits. That way, you won’t ever have another shutdown again.”
Dooley is facing Congressman Mike Collins in a runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
The winner of the Republican nomination will face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
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