Eight More Charged in Vienna Block Party Shooting in Dooly County
VIENNA, Georgia – The GBI and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office have charged eight more people in the Vienna block party shooting that killed two people and injured dozens on October 4. Two of the eight remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous, the GBI said Thursday.
That brings the number of people charged in the case to 10, according to the GBI. The agency said 44 people were hurt in the shooting. Twenty-eight had gunshot wounds, including the two who died, and 16 suffered other injuries.
Two suspects still sought
Investigators said 19-year-old Brexton Esamuel Gaston of Cordele and 34-year-old Vanravious Rashad Williams of Perry are not in custody. Both face charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and participation in criminal street gang activity. Gaston also faces a charge of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The GBI warned people not to approach or try to contact either man. Anyone who sees them or knows where they are should move to a safe location and call 911 immediately.
Six arrested
Four adults and two teenagers are in custody. Each faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and participation in criminal street gang activity. The GBI listed these adults:
- 19-year-old Latravis Keonta Bentley of Vienna, also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He is in the Houston County Jail.
- 19-year-old Ty’Darrious Ty’Jai Dawson of Cordele, also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He is in the Dooly County Jail.
- 23-year-old Devontre Jaquon Holton of Cordele, also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He is in the Crisp County Jail.
- 23-year-old Demari Jaheem Nixon of Cordele, also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He is in the Crisp County Jail.
The other two people arrested are a 17-year-old from Vienna and a 16-year-old from Cordele. The GBI named them in its release, but The Central Georgian does not identify juveniles. The 17-year-old faces the same firearm charge as the adults and is in the Dooly County Jail. The 16-year-old faces a charge of possession of a firearm under the age of 21. The GBI did not say where the 16-year-old is held.
Charges are accusations. The release did not say whether any of the suspects have attorneys or have appeared in court.
Earlier arrests
The new charges follow earlier arrests. On October 9, the GBI charged a 17-year-old from Dooly County with possession of a handgun under the age of 18 and participating in criminal street gang activity. On October 14, agents charged 36-year-old Kelcey Smith and 40-year-old Johntavirous Robinson, both of Cordele, with two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tampering with evidence.
What happened
Deputies on patrol at a neighborhood block party heard shots fired from the 900 block of Pine Street at about 1:25 a.m. October 4, according to the GBI’s preliminary information. They found multiple people shot. They also found two people dead in the 600 block of Pine Street. Our earlier report covers the mass shooting at the Vienna block party.
The dead are 21-year-old Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson of Cordele and 23-year-old Macaleb Malik Jackson of Hawkinsville. The GBI’s October 4 update said the injured victims’ conditions ranged from stable to critical. The injury count has since grown from 35 to 44.
Agencies involved
The GBI’s Perry Regional Investigative Office led the investigation, with help from the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, and several GBI regional offices, gang task force units and drug enforcement offices.
Other agencies that helped include the ATF, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, Georgia State Patrol, the Cordele Police Department, and the Crisp County, Houston County and Turner County sheriff’s offices. The Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia also assisted.
When the investigation ends, the GBI will give the case file to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia for review and prosecution.
How to help
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information can call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Perry at (478) 987-4545. Anonymous tips go to 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), through the GBI’s online tip form at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
