Two Dead In Jasper VA Clinic Shooting, GBI Investigating Officer-Involved Incident

JASPER, Georgia – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into a deadly shooting at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper that left two men dead, including a clinic employee.

According to officials, the incident occurred on March 17, 2026, around 1:30 p.m. at the VA Clinic on East Church Street.

Investigators say 51-year-old Lawrence Charles Michels of Jasper was at the clinic for a walk-in mental health consultation when he shot 34-year-old Nicholas “Nic” Crews, a social work case manager at the facility.

Crews was transported to a trauma hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

After the shooting inside the clinic, authorities say Michels exited the building armed with a handgun and encountered responding Jasper Police officers along with an armed civilian.

Officials said Michels exchanged gunfire with both police and the civilian before being shot.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured during the incident.

Both Crews and Michels will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsies.

The investigation remains active. Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.