Georgia Hospitals Treat Dozens After Gunfire Tears Through Homecoming Party

Georgia’s homecoming weekend ended in bloodshed when gunfire tore through a Vienna block party and left two men dead and 35 people hurt.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says deputies heard shots around 1:25 A.M. Sunday while they patrolled the neighborhood gathering on Pine Street.

Authorities identified the men killed as Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. Officials said some survivors were in critical condition, with the ages of those hurt ranging from 14 to 51.

Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy said the crowd topped 1,000 people and gunfire came from two spots about a block apart. Deputies pushed through people fleeing the party to reach victims as more shots rang out nearby, according to WSB-TV.

“You just have to keep doing what you’re doing and hope you don’t get hit by gunfire,” Peavy told WMAZ.

The GBI confirmed the overall injury count but has not detailed how many people suffered bullet wounds rather than other injuries.

By Monday afternoon, investigators had not publicly named a suspect or explained what led to the shooting at the party.

GBI Director Chris Hosey said six investigative units were helping with the case as agents spoke with witnesses and pursued leads.

“The goal right now is to identify those involved and gather as much information as we can,” Hosey said.

The party coincided with Dooly County High School’s homecoming weekend, but the school district said it did not sponsor the gathering. Peavy said deputies had watched a larger gathering Friday without trouble before Saturday night’s celebration ended with the deadly shooting.

Crisp Regional Hospital called in staff to treat the victims, and two patients needed emergency surgery during the response.

“The tragic events of this morning simply should not happen in our otherwise peaceful South Georgia communities,” hospital CEO Steven Gautney said.

The district announced added school safety steps and crisis support for students and families coping with the shooting’s aftermath.

In July 2023, another block party shooting killed two people and wounded 28 others at Baltimore’s Brooklyn Homes housing complex.

Once agents finish the investigation, the GBI will send its findings to the Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.