Augusta, GA

Augusta Regional Airport sees rise in passengers, gun seizures

Published

1 month ago

July 14, 2024

Augusta Regional Airport sees rise in passengers, gun seizures

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta Regional Airport saw an increase in the number of guns found at the security checkpoint in the past six months, but that shouldn’t be a surprise since it saw many more passengers than in the same time last year.

The Transportation Security Administration intercepted nine firearms in the first half of 2024, compared to six in the same period of 2023.

The bigger news may be the increase in passengers at the airport.

The airport saw 174,165 passengers in the first half of 2024, compared to 159,547 in the first half of 2023.

GEORGIA AIRPORT GUN SEIZURES:

The number of guns found at the Augusta airport is microscopic compared to the state’s behemoth Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest.

Hartsfield-Jackson led the country in firearm detections with 222 in the first half of 2024, according to the agency. The agency said the airport screened 15 million passengers. Airport security detected 214 firearms in 13.4 million screenings in the same period last year.

The TSA says one gun was discovered for 65,828 passengers screened at Georgia airports, more than twice the national average.

Nationally, 443.1 million passengers were screened in the first six months of the year. That’s a 7% increase from last year.

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Augusta, GA

Shots fired outside of Laney, Westside football game

Published

1 hour ago

August 17, 2024

Press Room

Shots fired outside of Laney, Westside football game

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – According to Westside and Laney high school coaches, there was a shooting outside of the Lucy C. Laney stadium during the game on Friday night.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were dispatched to the area of Augusta Court and Blounts Avenue for multiple gun shots near the Laney High School Football Field where a game was being played.

Both coaches say their teams are okay.

Friday was the first game of the football season.

The sheriff’s office says there have no victims located.

While on scene, deputies found cartridge casings and property damage.

A news 12 crew on scene says there are bullet holes along a nearby apartment complex.

Deputies say at this time, it appears all the gun shots fired occurred outside the stadium.

Details are limited at this time. We are working to learn more about the incident.

This isn’t the first time a shooting happened outside of this stadium. In Sept. 2022, two people have been arrested in connection to “shots fired” at Lucy C. Laney Football Stadium.

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Augusta, GA

Truck crashes through signs blocking Whiskey Road brick wall

Published

9 hours ago

August 16, 2024

Press Room

Truck crashes through signs blocking Whiskey Road brick wall

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A truck crashed through the Whiskey Road brick wall early Friday morning.

Viewers sent us pictures of the accident that happened around 8 a.m.

The truck involved is an ALSCO Linen and Uniform Rental Services.

Officials say the driver did crash through the signs blocking the wall and the wall itself.

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Augusta, GA

Grovetown man accused of sexual exploitation of a child, grooming a minor

Published

16 hours ago

August 16, 2024

Press Room

Grovetown man accused of sexual exploitation of a child, grooming a minor

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A man has been accused of sexual exploitation of a minor and grooming a minor in Grovetown, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

On July 23, Columbia County deputies responded to a home on Baker Place Road around 6:52 p.m. to meet with a parent who wanted to report a suspicious situation.

The parent stated an unknown suspect had been sending text messages to a minor that exhibited inappropriate behavior, but at the time was not criminal, according to authorities.

Given details the suspect told the victim, authorities say they were able to successfully identify him.

Authorities informed the parent that if any crimes were committed to report them – which led to his later arrest.

According to the arrest warrant issued on Aug. 13, Jason Alexander Shumaker, 45, did commit several crimes in Grovetown several times on July 13, according to the affiant.

According to the arrest warrant, these crimes include sexual exploitation of a minor (computer or electronic pornography) and grooming a minor under the age of 14 years old.

Shumaker was arrested on Tuesday and charged with sexual exploitation of children and grooming a minor, according to jail records.

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