Crime
Victims killed in Tignall shooting identified, suspect Shannon Box in custody
Box is currently being held at the Wilkes County Jail as the investigation continues.
On the morning of Friday, December 6, 2024, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a sighting of Shannon Box near Danburg Road in Tignall, Georgia.
Deputies quickly located Box at a church on Jones Chapel Road, where he was taken into custody without resistance.

Shannon Box now faces multiple charges, including:
- Three counts of Murder
- Three counts of Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Crime
- Aggravated Assault
Box is currently being held at the Wilkes County Jail as the investigation continues.
Authorities have confirmed the identities of the three victims in this tragic case:
- Chauncey Box, age 55, of Tignall, GA
- Brenda Lipscomb, age 67, of Tignall, GA
- Michael Schmidt, age 55, of Tignall, GA
Law enforcement officials have not released additional details about the motive behind the killings. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is assisting with the case, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.
This incident has deeply affected the small community of Tignall, and local authorities are urging anyone with further information to contact the GBI Tipline at 800-597-8477.
The bodies were discovered on Thursday in a home located on the 900 block of Mallorysville Road, northwest of Tignall, a small town with fewer than 500 residents.
Deputies initially responded to a call regarding an injured woman on the same road.
Upon investigation, they determined she had been attacked at the residence where the three victims were later found.
Shannon Box, the suspect in the case, was captured by authorities on Friday morning and is being questioned regarding the homicides.
Officials have stated that Box has been charged with one count of aggravated assault related to the injured woman, who sustained multiple injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Law enforcement sources indicated that Box allegedly made threats to target individuals he believed had wronged him, adding a concerning dimension to the investigation.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is treating the case as a triple homicide and is leading the investigation. By late Thursday evening, the scene on Mallorysville Road had been cleared, but the community remains on edge as more details emerge.
The GBI is urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Tips can be submitted through the GBI Tipline at 800-597-8477, the “See Something, Send Something” app, or online at GBI’s Investigative Tip Line.
This tragic event has shocked the quiet Wilkes County community, and officials are continuing their efforts to uncover the circumstances leading to these senseless deaths. Further updates are expected as the investigation unfolds.
Crime
36-year-old Emerald Pretty killed in Englewood shooting
CHICAGO, IL — A man was found shot to death Friday night on Chicago’s South Side, prompting a homicide investigation by Area One detectives, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 900 block of West 63rd Parkway in the Englewood neighborhood at approximately 10:00 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 36-year-old male victim suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, but the victim was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified him as Emerald Pretty, age 36.
According to preliminary information, a male suspect exited a white sedan, approached the victim, and opened fire before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle.
No arrests have been made at this time, and Area One detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Authorities have not released details on a possible motive or whether the incident may have been targeted.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact the Chicago Police Department’s Area One Bureau of Detectives or submit an anonymous tip through CPD’s tip line or Crime Stoppers.
