Employees moved customers indoors after an armed man appeared near a business as deputies investigated a deadly shooting nearby.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A restaurant worker said she hurried customers inside and locked the doors Wednesday morning after seeing an armed man near her business as law enforcement responded to a deadly shooting along Wrightsboro Road.
The encounter unfolded near the 3400 block of Wrightsboro Road, where Richmond County deputies responded to reports of gunfire at about 5:40 a.m. Investigators found two male victims with gunshot wounds. Marion Reynolds, 50, of Augusta, later died at Doctors Hospital, while a second man remained in critical condition, authorities said.
Pamela Lawson, who works at a restaurant near the shooting scene, told WJBF that she and a coworker had been talking with a regular customer when police activity began drawing their attention. A customer who had been outside later came into the restaurant and told workers there had been a shooting nearby.
Lawson said she then noticed a man near the restaurant’s dumpsters who appeared upset and was arguing on a phone. She said the situation became more alarming when she saw that the man had a gun near the parking area while customers were still in their vehicles.
Lawson said she urged one woman to remain inside her vehicle as she worked to bring other customers into the restaurant. She then locked the doors. The business also had a panic button available behind the register and in an office, she told the station.
Lawson described the man as angry and frightened but said she did not believe his behavior was specifically directed toward the restaurant or its customers. Her focus, she said, was getting people away from the immediate area and making sure those inside the business were protected while the situation remained uncertain.
Authorities have not confirmed that the armed man Lawson described was the suspect later charged in the shooting. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office also has not said whether her encounter was directly tied to the gunfire investigators were examining nearby. No publicly released account has established the armed man’s identity in Lawson’s encounter.
The sheriff’s office identified Jacob Mark Pennington, 18, of Stone Mountain, as the suspect in the shooting investigation. Deputies said Pennington was detained at the scene, taken to the Criminal Investigations Division and later charged with murder and additional offenses. He was expected to be taken to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
Reynolds was transported from the shooting scene to Doctors Hospital and pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m., according to the Richmond County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was scheduled. Authorities have not publicly identified the surviving victim or explained what relationship, if any, existed among the people involved.
The investigation disrupted morning traffic in the area around Wrightsboro Road and Bobby Jones Expressway. Portions of the roadway were temporarily closed as deputies worked at the scene. Investigators were seen placing evidence markers in a parking lot while caution tape restricted access to part of the area. The roadway later reopened and the scene was cleared.
A second person interviewed by WJBF near the investigation said he saw a heavy police response but did not witness the shooting. He said he was familiar with people associated with the area but did not know what caused the violence. Investigators have not confirmed his account or released a motive.
Lawson told the station she has worked in the area for several years and has encountered customers who ask about safety there. She said her experiences in the neighborhood generally have been positive despite Wednesday’s frightening episode. Her account offers a view of how the shooting affected people working nearby, even as investigators continue trying to determine precisely what happened.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office continued investigating Friday. Authorities had not publicly established a motive, identified the second victim or confirmed whether the armed man Lawson encountered was connected to the shooting.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.