VIENNA, Ga. (WALB) — Per the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, two people are dead and 35 others have been injured in a mass shooting incident that happened during the early morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 4.

The GBI held a news conference addressing the situation at 7 p.m. at the Dooly County Courthouse, located at 104 2nd St. in Vienna.

What happened

Coroner Brett Walls confirms Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville died in the shooting.

According to preliminary info from GBI, deputies with the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office were on patrol around 1:25 a.m. Sunday at a neighborhood block party when they say shots were fired from the 900 block of Pine Street. Deputies responded and found that multiple people had been shot. Deputies also found the two men dead nearby in the 600 block of Pine Street. Victims from the shooting were taken to multiple different hospitals in the area, GBI says.

The victims’ bodies will be given to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for autopsies.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Perry at 478-987-4545. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Crisp County Sheriff’s Office response

The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office said they are proud of their first responders who responded to the incident. According to the sheriff’s office, there were 25 people shot; 10 others were injured during the incident.

Response from area hospital

Officials with Crisp Regional Hospital say not long after 2 a.m., they started getting patients from the mass shooting. They say the incident happened about nine miles from the hospital.

Hospital officials say they immediately activated their trauma and emergency response protocols and brough in all available personnel to treat the patients. Trauma teams, doctors, nurses, surgical teams, and support staff were all brought together to provide care.

Crisp Regional is designated as a Level III Trauma Center, meaning the facility is prepared to respond to events such as this.

Hospital officials say as of 2 p.m. Sunday, 26 patients who were injured in the shooting remained at Crisp Regional. Two others were transferred to other facilities. Another two required emergency surgery, which was performed at Crisp Regional. Several patients were admitted to the hospital for continued care. Hospital officials say many others were treated for their injuries and released. Additional people may have received care at other hospitals.

STATEMENT FROM HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP:

“The tragic events of this morning simply should not happen in our otherwise peaceful South Georgia communities,” said Steven Gautney, CEO of Crisp Regional. “On behalf of our entire organization and medical staff, we extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy.

“I am profoundly grateful for our first responders, physicians, nurses, clinical teams and support staff who responded immediately and worked tirelessly to care for those who came through our doors. Their professionalism, compassion and dedication in an extraordinarily difficult situation exemplify the mission of Crisp Regional.

“I especially want to thank our law enforcement partners for their teamwork alongside hospital personnel throughout this response. Their coordination with our team helped ensure that victims received the care they needed while maintaining a safe environment for our patients, families and staff during an emotionally charged and rapidly evolving situation.

“Our commitment does not end with the emergency response. Crisp Regional will continue to stand with our patients, their families and our neighboring communities as they begin the difficult process of healing and recovery.”

Community response

An impromptu community prayer vigil was organized Sunday morning in response to the shooting. Around 100 people gathered at the courthouse in Vienna to pray for the victims and their families.

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., representative for Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, released a statement on Sunday evening:

“Homecoming is supposed to be about coming home — to family, to old friends, to the neighborhoods that raised us. Early this morning in Vienna, a celebration of home became a scene of unspeakable grief.

“Two young men, just 20 and 23 years old, will not come home again. Dozens more are lying in hospital beds, and their families are keeping watch, praying for every breath.

“Vivian and I join the people of Vienna and Dooly County in mourning. We lift up the families who lost sons, the wounded and those who love them, and every person who ran toward danger to help a neighbor. I am grateful to the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, first responders, and the doctors and nurses working through the night.

“Scripture tells us that the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. Vienna’s heart is broken today. But this community is strong, and it is not alone. My office stands ready to help in every way we can, and we will continue to pray for healing, for justice, and for peace.”

Cary Moore, candidate for state representative for District 150 released this statement about the incident Sunday afternoon:

“Our hearts are heavy for the victims, families, and entire community of Dooly County affected by this senseless tragedy. In our rural communities, we take care of one another, and this act of violence cuts us all deeply.

​My deepest prayers are with everyone mourning. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our local law enforcement and first responders who acted swiftly and courageously to protect us. As your State Representative, I will always stand firmly behind the men and women in uniform, ensuring they have the full support and resources needed to keep our community safe and uphold the rule of law."

Republican candidate for Georgia governor, Rick Jackson, released a statement on the mass shooting:

This news coming out of Vienna is horrific. Please join us in keeping the victims and their loved ones in your prayers, as well as the entire community. Our prayers are with the survivors for a full recovery, and with law enforcement and first responders working to find who did this and keep Dooly County safe.

Democratic candidate for Georgia governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, released a statement:

Following reports of a shooting in Vienna, Georgia, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms released the following statement.

“I am heartbroken by the tragedy in Vienna and the lives taken by senseless gun violence. It is devastating that Georgians are grieving victims of gun violence, just days after the horrific mass shooting at Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon.

My prayers are with all of the families who have been impacted and for the full recovery of those who were injured.

I am grateful to the first responders in Dooly County and the GBI, who are working to keep the community safe.

No family should have to endure this nightmare, and no community should have to live with the fear that a gathering of friends can turn into tragedy."

Senator Raphael Warnock released a statement:

I’m closely following the horrifying news of a shooting in Vienna, Georgia. I’m grateful to law enforcement and first responders who arrived on the scene. May God give peace to the families of the victims, and I am praying for the swift recovery of those injured. Keeping the entire community of Vienna in my thoughts.

The Dooly County Schools System also released a statement about the incident:

Frustrations expressed

Some people are expressing frustrations with leadership from the mayor and police response in the wake of the shooting.

Reward offered for info

Meanwhile, the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, also known as the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, is offering a reward of up $5,000 for information the helps law enforcement make an arrest(s) and/or get a conviction. The foundation came into being after the May 24, 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

Anyone with information can call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 478-987-4545.

“We are expanding our response because accountability matters. Two people lost their lives, 35 others were injured, and an entire community is now dealing with the aftermath.

“If you saw something, heard something or have information that could help investigators, now is the time to come forward. Someone may know something that could help bring answers to these families.

“We are asking people to do the right thing. You can provide information directly to law enforcement, and anonymous reporting options are available. Our Foundation is willing to put up to $5,000 behind information that helps move this investigation toward justice.”

The foundation has also raised more than $7,000 as of Monday, Oct. 5 to help families affected by the shooting. The foundation says donations have come in from Georgia, Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

“We are very grateful to everyone who has stepped up. People saw what happened and wanted to help these families. More than $7,000 has been raised so far, and donations are still coming in. That support means a great deal. We want families to know that they are not alone and that they can reach out to us if they are facing an immediate need,” Chaplin said.

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