Augusta, GA

Shootings at store draw a call for action from Augusta leader

Published

2 years ago

January 16, 2024

Shootings at store draw a call for action from Augusta leader

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Commission member wants to deal with a convenience store that seems to be a magnet for gunfire and murders.

Catherine Smith McKnight wants to consider beefing up security or closing down the Smart Grocery at 3221 Wrightsboro Road due to the number of shootings happening around there.

It’s a matter she brought up at Tuesday’s meeting of the commission.

The store has been the site of at least nine shootings in recent years, at least two of them fatal, including one on Dec. 11 claimed the life of Jeremiah Griffin, 32, of the 300 block of Fox Trace.

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McKnight’s matter is being moved to the next committee meeting of the commission so the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the store owner can speak.

Through McKnight’s communication with her district, she told News 12 it could be an issue of staffing deputies around the area, and that the owner has reached out to the sheriff’s agency for an added officer that he would pay for.

Another store in the Glendale neighborhood near the Olive Road bridge will also be discussed due to the number of shootings that also happen around here.

Smart Grocery has had a high profile in the news for all the wrong reasons.

It doesn’t help that it’s near some apartment complexes that have been trouble spots for crime, including the one where Griffin lived.

In fact, one of the complexes – formerly known as Fox Den – had such a problem with drugs and other crime that the owner set up a mobile security tower with bright lights, cameras and a siren.

At least some of the violence from the apartments has spilled over to Smart Grocery in recent years, leading Smith McKnight to wonder at what point it becomes a public safety problem.

Smart Grocery and its immediate surroundings have been the site of several gun incidents in recent years. Among those incidents:

In July, one person was sent to a hospital after another shooting at the store.
In January 2023, a man was shot with his own gun in the 3200 block of Wrightsboro Road after an unknown person grabbed his pistol from his pocket and shot him with it as he tried to break up a fight.
In September 2022, Zayquantez Jones, 17, was killed in a shooting at the store.
In December 2021, two motorists fired gunshots at each other near the store before driving off in separate directions. One person was arrested.
On Nov. 23, 2021, a man pointed a gun at a woman in the parking lot of the store as part of an apparent road-rage incident.
In April 2021, a man was found in the parking lot of the store, injured after being shot at least twice.
In March 2020, a shooting there wounded a bystander after a verbal altercation in the parking lot. Marcia Laquette Wimbley, 28, of Augusta, was taken into custody
In November 2018, a victim was found in the parking lot of the store with at least two gunshot wounds in their mid-section.
In May 2017, a man suffered wounds to a hand and thigh in a shooting at the store. The injuries were not life-threatening.

Last year, commissioners vowed to bring more funding to fight crime in the area.

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Augusta, GA

South Augusta community raises concern over Family Y on Tobacco Road

Published

9 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

19 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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