Is downtown Augusta safe? Residents give their thoughts after Saturday shooting

Augusta's downtown First Friday festivities were followed by a violent shooting early Saturday that left three injured, including a suspect after deputies on site fired back. In the hours that followed, the Augusta Chronicle spoke with residents about their thoughts on downtown Augusta's safety.

Several like Kenzie Castro said incidents like the one Saturday are why she rarely visits downtown.

"My friends love to go downtown and always ask me and my hubby if we would like to join and we always reply 'no,'" she wrote via Messenger. "Always gives me a bad vibe and now I see why I am glad I’ve always trusted my gut."

Downtown shooting: Augusta sheriff, mayor try to reassure downtown residents after Saturday shootout

Chelsea Maultsby said the scene really changes as the sun sets.

"I don't trust downtown," Maultsby said. "In the daytime it's safe, (but) not at night. These young kids be doing stuff. I don't even like stepping out here. It used to be fun."

Lashanda Murray expressed similar sentiments.

"I think, during the day, it's typically like this, nice and peaceful," she said. "During the night ... frankly, I think there could be more police presence just to ensure that the same atmosphere during the day you have at night."

Following a press conference about the shooting on Saturday, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson expressed interest in addressing this with the Augusta Commission.

"Our downtown is a safe area," the mayor said. "However, I am extremely disappointed in the level of violence and the level of lawlessness that occurs in our downtown corridor late in the evening."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who is leading the investigation in this case since it involves local deputies shooting a suspect, released a statement on Sunday noting they arrested Amazing Lee Blessed Brigham, 19, of Hephzibah. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a gun during a crime.

Three deputies were working off-duty jobs at Solé restaurant, located at 1033 Broad St., when they heard multiple gunshots, according to the GBI. The deputies responded, found the suspect outside the restaurant with an assault pistol. They fired at him, hitting the suspect at least once.

While many downtown business owners declined to comment, multiple showed up at the press conference and expressed their concern over insufficient police presence. Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree said he was more than happy to talk to them at a later date while also arguing that downtown is one of the safest spots in Richmond County and they have a significant downtown presence.

However, one owner that has publicly spoken is Sean Wight who owns the Frog Hollow Group, which includes restaurants like Farmhaus, Tacocat, and Pho-Ramen'L. He gave the following comment in a news release with Richmond County sheriff's candidate Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley:

"I feel like downtown Augusta as a destination is a safe place with a lower crime rate than most city’s our size, however when there are known events that draw large crowds such as First Friday or other late-night events," he nored, "the lack of police presence and proactive crowd control is distressing, especially since this has been a recurring issue for several years."

Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson also supported the safety of downtown while also saying they need to be sensitive to those who live and work downtown every day. Johnson said they will be going to the drawing board to figure out how to best meet their needs.

The investigation into Saturday's shooting is still underway and has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI communications center can be reached at (404) 244-2600. Confidential tips for the sheriff's office can be posted online at richmondcountysheriffsoffice.com/crime-tip.cfm.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta residents comment on downtown safety, security after shooting