Augusta, GA

Murder-suicides take grim toll: 4 lives in 14 hours

Published

2 years ago

January 16, 2024

Murder-suicides take grim toll: 4 lives in 14 hours

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – Community members are looking for answers after murder-suicides in Augusta and Aiken claimed four lives in 14 hours.

What do these cases have in common and what lessons do they hold?

The Aiken murder-suicide unfolded just before 11 a.m. Monday at the Murphy USA gas station at 3575 W. Richland Ave. – a sad echo of another murder-suicide the night before on Holden Drive in Augusta.

The victim was identified as 43-year-old Tiffany Britt, and the shooter was her husband, 55-year-old George Britt. They were from Augusta.

In Aiken, witnesses said a man approached a woman, and they were yelling.

“I looked at her and I could see that she knew that … she knew that this was it for her,” said Gloria Smith, a witness. “She didn’t try to put up a fight no more. She didn’t – she just didn’t do nothing.”

The witness said she and others were at the gas pumps while the incident unfolded.

“I told everybody that we need to move back because it was like three other gentlemen and I said we need to move back because he has a gun in his pocket and it’s right at her stomach,” said Smith.

The man was asking her something.

“All she could say was, ‘I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know what you’re talking about,’” said Smith.

The witness heard the police sirens after she called 911.

“And then the next thing you know, I heard him say, ‘All right,’ and then he shot her,” said Smith.

An off-duty deputy was getting gas when he saw what was happening and tried to intervene.

“He was getting ready to run, but that gentleman caught him and they was tussling and gunshots were just going off – about 12 of them just going off, then all of a sudden, it stopped,” said Smith. “Then the next gunshot you heard was him shooting himself in the head.”

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“I’m emotionally all over the place,” said Smith. “I want to cry now, but I’m doing everything I can not to.”

The shooter died on the scene and the victim died at Aiken Regional Medical Center, according to Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables.

They will be autopsied Wednesday in Newberry, according to Ables.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is handling the investigation.

In Augusta, 41-year-old Rebecca Williams was fatally shot Sunday night by her husband, Michael Williams, 43, who then killed himself, according to authorities. That incident happened around 9 p.m. at their home in the 1200 block of Holden Drive.

Both were pronounced dead at 9:50 p.m.

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen said autopsies have been scheduled.

In Augusta, 41-year-old Rebecca Williams was fatally shot Sunday night by her husband, Michael Williams, 43, who then killed himself, according to authorities. That incident happened around 9 p.m. at their home in the 1200 block of Holden Drive.(WRDW/WAGT)

The murder-suicides are among about 600 that happen every year in the U.S.

A 2022 analysis published by the FBI found 65% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners, and 81% happen in the home. When partners are involved, more than half of the killers have a history of domestic conflict.

Most murder-suicides involve one killer and one victim, but not always, according to the analysis. Children are sometimes victims, but most are adults.

Guns are the main weapon used.

Beyond that, there are other patterns, according to the FBI.

Murder-suicides are overwhelmingly carried out by white men, especially older ones. From 2003 to 2005, statistics show 91.4% of murder-suicides were committed by males, 97.6% were committed by people over age 19 and 77% were committed by people identified as white.

Experts aren’t sure whether the main goal is murder, suicide or something else, but these factors are often at play:

A negative dynamic like abuse, infidelity or a perceived injustice in the relationship between the killer and victim.
A sense of obligation toward the victim, like protecting them from the stigma or shame of a planned suicide or the hurtful consequences of something the killer has done.
The killer’s intent to relieve the victim of suffering due to illness or disability.

As for how to prevent murder-suicides, the FBI has no clear answer. But one approach may be to take some cues from efforts to prevent suicide.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta’s Turpin neighborhood to get affordable homes with $1.85M federal grant

Published

8 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Augusta’s Turpin neighborhood to get affordable homes with .85M federal grant

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The historic Turpin neighborhood will soon welcome more affordable homes after Augusta Habitat for Humanity was awarded $1.85 million in federal funding this week.

The grant will fund the construction of at least 12 homes in the area.

“Habitat for Humanity applied for federal funding, and they were awarded the funding,” said District 2 Commissioner Stacy Pulliam.

Reviving a historic community

The Turpin neighborhood was once home to professionals, including educators, doctors, and lawyers.

“These big professionals that lived mostly over this way,” one resident said of the neighborhood’s history.

Pulliam described the area’s former prominence as “its grand days of glory, when it was the place.”

The project brings together city organizers and community partners through the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, or GICH.

“We have so many partners. We have the Housing Authority on board. We have a representative from the Hub on board,” Pulliam said. “There’s so many great partners at the table that’s helping pull all of this together.”

Federal support and future plans

The project received backing from Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Habitat for Humanity, with support from GICH, focused its application on Turpin Hill intentionally, as officials say the community had been needing to be addressed for years.

With Habitat for Humanity continuing to advocate for more funds, Pulliam said their motivation could lead to additional housing development in the future.

“We keep going and going and going,” she said. “Now we can do 20. Now we can do multifamily. So it’s fueling our fire to get more housing, but not just housing, to clean up the area.”

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Augusta, GA

Trump to sign emergency order to pay TSA agents as Augusta airport preps for golf week

Published

20 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Trump to sign emergency order to pay TSA agents as Augusta airport preps for golf week

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – President Donald Trump said he will sign an emergency declaration to pay TSA agents, as nearly 500 have quit since the shutdown began.

More than 40 percent of Atlanta’s TSA agents did not show up on Wednesday, leading to long lines at Atlanta’s airport and across the country. It is unclear when President Trump will sign the emergency order. TSA workers will miss their second paycheck Friday.

In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump said, “I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”

The president thanked TSA agents. The Department of Homeland Security as a whole will not be funded at this time. The Coast Guard and FEMA are among the agencies still impacted.

If senators do not reach a deal to fund the department on Friday, they are set for a two-week recess.

Augusta airport prepares for tournament week

TSA workers are a concern as tournament week approaches in Augusta. Security and safety are also concerns after a plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport.

Augusta Regional Airport and its fire department are working to keep visitors safe as they fly in for tournament week.

William Kovalchuk, a sergeant with the Augusta Airport Fire Department, operates an airport-specific fire truck.

“There’s a ton of traffic and a ton of congestion. This whole ramp area where I showed you guys a little bit ago, it’ll be completely filled with aircraft,” Kovalchuk said.

Tournament week sees the regional airport become a global hub, with flights in from 13 extra cities and more than 200 private planes parked on the tarmac.

Lauren Smith, deputy director of Augusta Regional Airport, said the airport works closely with the FAA during tournament week.

“During that time, we actually work very closely with the FAA to bring in additional controllers,” Smith said.

Extra controllers keep the airspace and runway safe. Enhanced safety measures are in place inside the terminal as well.

“Overall, everyone brings in more staff. The tenants, the rental car agencies, the airlines, the airport itself,” Smith said.

The fire department stages a second station across the airport to cover every flight.

“The manning will be stepped up quite a bit,” Kovalchuk said. “We don’t want to see anything happen, but we’re prepared for it.”

The airport said the average wait time is still less than an hour to get through security during tournament week.

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Augusta, GA

Jefferson County library director named Georgia Library Director of the Year

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Jefferson County library director named Georgia Library Director of the Year

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Georgia Library Director of the Year was honored at a ceremony in Jefferson County.

Christina Shepherd received the award and a county proclamation. Jefferson County officials also honored the library board during the ceremony.

“I’m very thankful. I think it’s great for Jefferson County to have this award brought here and bringing light to us,” Shepherd said. “I don’t think I do anything extraordinary that any librarian wouldn’t do, but I just keep doing it. I appreciate it. I’m thankful.”

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