Richmond County Sheriff's Office records show the suspect and victim in the Fourth of July shooting inside of Augusta Mall knew each other and were involved in a previous shooting in 2022.
Derek Lamont Blue, 23, of Augusta, is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a gun during a crime in connection to the mall shooting, which left Rico Julius Walton, 25, of Hephzibah, injured.
On Feb. 12, 2022, Walton, then-23, told deputies his backyard sensor lights went off and he thought someone was behind his house on Winston Way, according to an incident report. Then he said he heard several gunshots in front of the house and saw multiple people running toward Windsor Spring Road.
A witness told deputies that after she heard several gunshots outside of the home, she looked outside and saw Walton with a "long black rifle" in the street, heading back to the house, according to the report. She said she did not actually see Walton discharge the gun.
911 calls:Hear all 911 calls made during the most recent Augusta Mall shooting
Blue's mother arrived at the scene and started accusing Walton of shooting her then 21-year-old son, deputies noted in the report.
Blue and a 21-year-old woman were found at the hospital following the shooting, according to the report. Blue was shot in the left elbow.
Deputies noted she was Walton's girlfriend and also Blue's ex-girlfriend, according to the report. She said she was inside the home at the time of the shooting and did not see anything.
Walton was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault and two counts of felony possession of a gun during the commission of a felony, according to Augusta Clerk of Court records.
On Nov. 1, 2023, Walton's attorneys filed an application for leave of court, according to records.
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