AUGUSTA, Ga. — Chaos unfolded at Augusta Mall on Tuesday afternoon when a fight involving six individuals escalated into gunfire, leaving one person dead and sparking panic among shoppers.

Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley confirmed during an afternoon press conference that what began as a physical altercation quickly turned deadly.

“It all started as a fight,” Brantley said. “One of the suspects pulled out a firearm and shot the other.”

The shooting took place on the lower level of the mall near the escalators, in the vicinity of the American Eagle store.

Witnesses reported hearing at least three shots before the suspected gunman fled into a nearby Bath & Body Works.

Shoppers scrambled for safety as deputies rushed inside. Investigators located a man suffering from gunshot wounds; he was later pronounced dead.

“We have one deceased and the family has been notified,” Sheriff Brantley stated.

The incident initially triggered an active shooter alert, prompting a large-scale emergency response and lockdown of the mall.

Brantley later clarified that it was not an active shooter situation but rather a fight that escalated into a targeted shooting.

Two suspects were detained at the scene with assistance from mall security, while two others remain at large.

The sheriff credited security cameras and swift coordination with helping officers quickly identify and apprehend part of the group.

“With the release of video to us, it allowed us to respond quickly and apprehend two of the culprits,” Brantley said.

Multiple agencies responded, including the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), ATF, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT, Augusta Fire Department, Central EMS, and mall security teams.

Businesses were cleared store by store, and all shoppers and employees were safely evacuated.

At 2:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office issued an update confirming that the search for additional suspects was ongoing:

“We are still on scene dealing with multiple issues at this time, and still searching for one individual. Deputies are having to clear store by store to look for anybody that is still inside hiding and/or possibly having a medical emergency. This process will take a while, so we thank you for your patience and cooperation in advance.”

The mall remained closed Tuesday evening as the investigation continued.

This shooting is the latest in a series of violent incidents at Augusta Mall.

In July 2024, a man was shot inside the Snipes shoe store in what investigators described as a targeted attack.

Earlier that spring, another person was wounded during a shooting at Dillard’s, and in 2020, a deadly shooting left one man dead and a bystander injured.

Augusta resident Shannon Sanchez, who was locked inside a storeroom with others during Tuesday’s incident, described the experience as terrifying:

“It was a terrible situation.”

Sheriff Brantley acknowledged the community’s concerns but refrained from making broader safety assurances.

“Anything could be safer than what it is,” he said. “But that is not what I am here to do.”