Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Another suspect has been arrested after the Washington Place cookout shooting in July that left three people wounded.

According to Pat Morgan, Special Agent in charge of the GBI Thomson Office, Drequan Te'Marius Gaines, 19, was arrested on Aug. 15 after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation traced him down in Savannah where he has been attending school.

Morgan stated that Gaines was identified early on in the investigation, but it was a matter of finding him.

The GBI said from information gathered during the investigation has shown that about 200 people were at the party during the shooting.

Anyone with information concerning this investigation is asked to call the Waynesboro Police Department at 706-554-8029 or the GBI at 706-595-2575.

Monday, July 4, 2016

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials say evidence gathered at the scene suggest multiple shooters.

GBI still says from information gathered during the investigation, 200 is still an estimate of the number of people that were at the party during the shooting.

GBI officials says they are unable to discuss a motive as this is an ongoing investigation.

Monday, July 4, 2016

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- An arrest has been made in the Washington Place cookout shooting that happened over the weekend.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Waynesboro Police Department, Jawon L. Preston, 18, of Waynesboro was arrested on Sunday, July 3.

Preston is being charged with three counts of aggravated assault, and is currently being held in the Burke County Jail.

The GBI and Waynesboro Police Department are continuing the investigation and both agencies say more arrests are expected.

Anyone with information concerning this investigation is asked to call the Waynesboro Police Department at 706-554-8029 or the GBI at 706-595-2575.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Christopher Crumbley was at a community cookout in Waynesboro when shooting started.

He says they were putting away food, tables and chairs, leaving for another party. Crumbley says, "Once the lights got unplugged, it's like shots just started flying from every way."

Crumbley didn't know where to go. He was afraid he would run straight into the shooter, so he hid. "All I could do was just hover behind a wall and don't move. The shooting went on for a rampage of 4 to 5 minutes straight before they even stopped shooting," he says.

Waynesboro Police arrived at the intersection of Washington Drive and Washington Place just before 11 p.m., and asked the GBI for help less than an hour later. The GBI says 35-year old Travis Walker, 27-year-old Johndrick Mells and 32-year old Rico Abraams. They're all being treated at Augusta University Medical Center.

The GBI says the three men were part of a crowd that numbered in the hundreds. Pat Morgan with the GBI says, "There was a large party here in the cul-de-sac behind us. Our understanding right now is that it was some kind of birthday celebration. Preliminarily, we believe there was probably in excess of 200 people." Morgan says they are not ready to release whether or not they have a suspect.

People at the party are now trying to figure out how a cookout turned into a crime scene. Crumbley says, "You can have a thousand good people and one spoiled apple and the rest is history."

Crumbley also has a message for everyone in the neighborhood. He says, "Guns create more problems. It doesn't make you a man because you've got a gun. It doesn't make you a gun because you're shooting at somebody. It doesn't cost anything to stay free."

Sunday, July 3, 2016

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Three people are in the hospital after a shooting in Waynesboro, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The GBI says the Waynesboro Police Department responded to a shooting at the intersection of Washington Place and Washington Drive at 10:55 p.m. When police arrived, they found 35-year-old Travis Walker shot and lying on the ground. Walker was taken to Augusta University Medical Center.

Then, police found out 27-year-old Johndrick Mells and 32-year-old Rico Abraams were also shot. Mells and Abraams were taken by private vehicle to Augusta University Medical Center to be treated.

The GBI says the Waynesboro Police Department requested their assistance at 11:50 p.m., about an hour after their initial response.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should call the Waynesboro Police Department at 706-554-8029 or the GBI at 706-595-2575.