Richmond County authorities released new details on Saturday regarding a murder-suicide that took place Thursday evening at Olmstead Homes, which resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman injured.
Also, an eyewitness video shows the moments the gunfire disrupted the public housing complex between B Street and C Street in Augusta.
The incident occurred around 7:34 p.m. Thursday when 22-year-old Zyquan Franklin and 34-year-old Jeremy McGahee got into an argument in the parking lot of the public housing complex, located between B Street and C Street.
The dispute, which was reportedly over a woman, escalated when Franklin pulled out a gun and fired several shots at McGahee and 25-year-old Tamia Gabrielle Elam, a local mother. Elam and McGahee were both taken to the hospital, where McGahee was later pronounced dead. Elam was treated for a gunshot wound to her right thigh and is expected to recover.
After the shooting, Franklin barricaded himself inside an apartment on the 2100 block of B Street. Authorities found his body inside the apartment and confirmed his death at 12:15 a.m. on Friday, according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.
Both McGahee and Elam were residents of Olmstead Homes. Franklin’s exact address remains unclear, but he had listed a Perry Court address during his last known arrest in 2023.
Franklin had a criminal history, including two felony convictions for drug-related offenses in Richmond County. He had also faced multiple other charges, including obstruction of justice, and had served time in connection with some of these offenses. He had an extensive record as a juvenile.
The killing marks the 45th homicide of the year in Richmond County.