AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – One person is dead and two suspects have been detained in a fatal shooting that happened Saturday afternoon in Augusta.

The shooting was reported just before 5:30 p.m. at 10th and Florence streets, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

Upon arrival, deputies located one male victim who was shot in the chest at least one time and taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injury.

Two people have been detained at this time.  

No further information is available due to the active investigation.

The shooting comes amid an outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed more than 170 lives in a little over two years across the CSRA.

The crime outbreak has affected communities large and small, but as the biggest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.

Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs.

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Augusta National said it is “assessing the effects” of Hurricane Helene but that the club is focused on the local community less than a day after the Category 4 storm battered much of the South, including Augusta, Ga.

The club’s chairman, Fred Ridley, released a short statement on social media addressing the “catastrophic and historic” storm on Saturday morning after Helene tore through the region, bringing strong winds and severe coastal flooding and leaving 225,000 Augustans without power.

“Our Augusta community has suffered catastrophic and historic impact from Hurricane Helene,” Ridley said in a statement. “We currently are assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club.”

“In the meantime our focus and efforts are foremost with our staff, neighbors and business owners in Augusta,” Ridley said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them as well as everyone throughout Georgia and the Southeast who have been affected.”

The Masters host is just one of thousands of businesses and homes across the eastern seaboard that fell within Helene’s path on Thursday and Friday. The Category 4 storm is the most powerful hurricane to strike the United States in some time, bringing sustained winds upwards of 140 mph and killing at least 44 people throughout the South. Augusta, Ga. was in the center of the storm’s path, leaving many within the golf world to speculate on the club and surrounding area’s safety and well-being.

A photo posted to the popular aerial imaging site Eureka Earth on Friday afternoon appeared to show damage to dozens of trees in one of the club’s many perimeter parking lots, used for tournament patrons. No information has been shared about damages sustained within club gates, or to its golf course.

Augusta National is no stranger to the wrath of Mother Nature. A powerful ice storm struck down the club’s famed Eisenhower Tree in the winter of 2015, and a subsequent thunderstorm during the 2023 Masters sent a pair of trees tumbling over the 17th tee. No injuries were sustained in either event.

The 89th Masters Tournament will be played from April 9-13, 2025.

James Colgan

Golf.com Editor

James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta joined other local communities in ordering a curfew as the city grapples with hazards from a direct hit by Category 1 Hurricane Helene early Friday.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson declared a state of emergency Friday after the storm swept through the CSRA as a Category 1 storm, knocking down trees, tossing power lines and debris across roads and causing widespread flood flooding.

Augusta announced the curfew at 9:59 p.m. Friday – and it began one minute later at 10.

All bars and places of amusement must close at 10 p.m. and remain closed through 6 a.m. Saturday, the order states.

Beginning Saturday, there will be a curfew enforced by Richmond County Sheriff’s Office from 7 p.m. through 7 a.m. until further notice.

It came after the mayor and other local officials on Friday urged people to stay at home because roads and some other public areas aren’t safe, with storm debris, trees and power lines blocking thoroughfares or teetering on the brink of falling.

Columbia County imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

“This decision comes as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of our community during ongoing efforts to remove debris, downed trees, and downed powerlines with community partners from the major thoroughfares throughout the county,” the Columbia County government said in a statement.

Under an emergency declaration, Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt instituted a curfew for Aiken County from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Essential workers for local businesses and services and responders will be exempt from this curfew.

“This act is being used as a deterrence for anyone who would want to take advantage of our citizens who have been greatly impacted by the storm,” Hunt said. Violators and looters will be arrested, he said.

There’s also a curfew in Saluda County from 6:30 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. on Saturday. That’s because there are so many highways and secondary roads with downed trees and power lines.

Jefferson County had a curfew overnight Thursday, expiring at noon Friday.

Although it stopped short of a curfew, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office issued an advisory for everyone to avoid leaving their homes for any reason.

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Helene came ashore overnight in the Big Bend of Florida as a Category 4 storm, then cut a path due north through Georgia.

It was expected to veer westward toward Atlanta but instead headed straight for Augusta, which got a direct hit.

The CSRA felt the worst of the storm between 4 and 6 a.m.

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