Augusta, GA

Deputies arrest pair wanted in July shooting at gas station

Published

2 years ago

April 17, 2024

Deputies arrest pair wanted in July shooting at gas station

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two suspects who were wanted in connection to a shooting at the Get-N-Go convenience store on Windsor Spring Road in July 2023 have been arrested, according to jail records.

Authorities say Ricky Maurice Parker Jr., 21, and Bryson Marcell Burns, 22, were arrested on Tuesday after being wanted for a shooting that happened on July 16, 2023.

Deputies say around 3:12 p.m. they responded to the store in connection to shots fired. Investigators learned Parker and Burns fired shots at the 19-year-old victim.

Parker and Burns are both from the 3700 block of Lexington Drive in Augusta, according to officials.

It’s the same convenience store where 15-year-old Jordan Gaynor was fatally shot June 1 and that’s been the site of two other fatal shootings since 2020.

Once on the scene of the July 16 shooting, deputies met with a woman who said she was standing outside the store when two men began shooting. A tire on her vehicle was damaged during the shooting, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies then spoke to another witness who said he picked up the 19-year-old victim on Meadowbrook Drive and gave him a ride to the store.

The witness told officials while the 19-year-old was walking out of the store, the suspects were parked in front of the store in a black 2018 Ford Focus. Burns and Parker got out of the vehicle and began to shoot at the 19-year-old, according to the report.

The victim then got into the witness’s car, and they drove away. The 19-year-old got out of the car and left traveling north on Windsor Spring Road, according to the witness’s statement.

His vehicle and one gas pump were also damaged during the shooting, officials say.

Video footage from the scene shows Burns and Parker firing handguns at the victim. Officials say the 19-year-old can then be seen running away from the suspects out of the frame.

Deputies talked with the victim at Piedmont Hospital.

Parker has been charged with nine counts of criminal damage to property in the first degree, five counts of aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to jail records.

Charges against Burns are still pending, according to jail records.

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Augusta, GA

South Augusta community raises concern over Family Y on Tobacco Road

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

South Augusta community raises concern over Family Y on Tobacco Road

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – People who live in South Augusta are raising concerns about the future of the Family Y on Tobacco Road.

Officials say the facility has been operating at a loss for years, and have had a low number of memberships. The location also has a new owner. The cost of the lease is too high and the facility is also in need of renovations, which are said to be costly.

“The reality is we couldn’t afford the current lease that we were in,” said Catie McCauley, president and CEO of Family Y of Greater Augusta. “Over the last 10 years we’ve been subsidizing this lot. So we got to look at a model that we can sustain for the next several generations not just the next couple years.”

The location is set to close in October, but officials say they are working with community members and contractors for a new building that they can move into and are committed to staying in South Augusta.

Photojournalist credit: Gary Hipps

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Augusta, GA

Augusta domestic violence shelter faces shortfall after Georgia funding veto

Published

17 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Augusta domestic violence shelter faces shortfall after Georgia funding veto

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SafeHomes Augusta is facing a funding shortfall after Georgia lawmakers vetoed millions in domestic violence funding.

The nonprofit is the only 24-hour domestic violence shelter in the area, serving 10 counties from Augusta to Burke County to Taliaferro.

It costs approximately $1 million to operate a 24-hour shelter that meets Georgia standards, but SafeHomes only receives $647,000 in funding.

Lawmakers vetoed $9.4 million in domestic violence funding and $3 million for sexual assault centers.

Executive Director Aimee Hall said staff is bracing for what comes next.

“I think we’ll still be able to provide services. It’s just going to be on a lower scale. And that’s my concern because there’s so many people who need our services. Last year we provided services to over 1,700 men, women, and children,” Hall said.

Hall said the concern is not just about budgets but about the people who depend on the shelter around the clock.

“We’re not a nonprofit that can close. Domestic violence don’t happen between 8:00 and 5:00,” she said.

Becky Halioua, a survivor who first made contact with SafeHomes in 2015, said the resource likely saved her life.

She said she has continued to share her story in hopes it can help others.

“Nobody starts a relationship saying, well, I can’t wait for this person to put their hands on me,” Halioua said. “Domestic violence really has no face. And I think it’s important for people to know that it affects everybody.”

She said the reality of leaving an abusive situation is something many people do not consider.

“Just imagine if you had to just uproot your entire life suddenly in, you know, maybe the middle of the night and leave with just the clothes on your back,” Halioua said.

Hall said the most important thing the community can do right now is show up. SafeHomes is actively seeking volunteers, and Hall said time is just as valuable as financial donations.

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact SafeHomes Augusta directly at 706-736-2499.

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