No arrest made for Waffle House shooting reported in Milledgeville
A barrage of gunfire outside of Eatonton’s new Waffle House Monday caused quite the chaos, but no one was injured. One arrest has been made, according to Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell, and the investigation remains active as he identifies and interviews witnesses.
Ironically, another shooting happened two hours later at the Waffle House in Milledgeville. Cardwell said he does not believe the two shootings are related, although some of the same people were at both places during the incidents.
Eatonton shooting
Eatonton Police Officer Jeremy McClure was on routine patrol a few minutes before 1 a.m. Monday morning when he saw a large crowd gathered at the Jet Food Store #44 at the intersection of Gray Road and U.S. Hwy. 441.
Because the Jet was closed, McClure dispersed the crowd. Most of them moved across the road into the parking lots of Walmart and Waffle House, according to the police chief, and McClure stayed nearby to keep an eye on both places.
The Waffle House was busy with many cars and people in the parking lot and standing room only inside, Cardwell said, “because a lot of folks were leaving clubs and going to eat.”
A small crowd of approximately 30 people gathered at the bottom of the Waffle House driveway. At 1:02 a.m., a gunshot was heard and smoke from the gun was seen rising in the sky near Zaxby’s behind that crowd.
“I don’t know which direction they were firing, but as soon as that one shot went off, the chaos starts and people were running everywhere, pulling out guns, firing gunshots,” Cardwell described. “We see one individual, then three or four, running off and firing back into the crowd. Everybody’s got a gun. It’s surprising to me there weren’t a lot of victims.”
In his report of the incident, McClure noted that he called for backup and as soon as the rapid gunfire stopped, he made sure everyone inside the restaurant got out safely. No one had been shot, he said in his report.
Cardwell said officers gathered about 30 shell casings from the scene, 9 mm’s from handguns and .223s from automatic rifles. At least two cars were hit by bullets as well, he said.
From security camera video footage, Cardwell got a description of the car the shooter was in when he left the scene.
“Our Flock Street Cameras came in handy and we found out whose car it was,” he said.
The car belonged to a person in Greene County, so he and Officer Hargrove Jones went to Greene County Sunday and, along with assistance from Greene County Sheriff’s Office, arrested a 16-year-old male whose identity was withheld because of his age. The teen was the driver of the vehicle the shooter was in, Cardwell emphasized. The juvenile was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. Cardwell said he has warrants for the shooter’s arrest but has not found him yet.
Realizing that he did not recognize anyone in the video as being an Eatonton resident, Cardwell called Maj. Linc Boyer with Milledgeville Police Department. As Boyer was on his way to Eatonton to help Cardwell identify people in the security camera footage, he received a call and had to turn around and go back to Milledgeville because, by then, another shooting had taken place at a Waffle House there.
Milledgeville shooting
Just before 3:20 a.m. Monday, a shooting occurred at the Waffle House at 1683 North Columbia Street, Milledgeville, and one man was shot.
Milledgeville Police Department Maj. Brandon Sellers identified the victim as Kenneth Earl Jordan, 27, of Milledgeville, who had been shot in the shoulder area of his chest. Ironically, he was taken to the emergency department of Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin hospital by four men who had been at the Waffle House in Eatonton during that shooting.
“Boyer called me and asked if there was a silver SUV at our shooting and I said yes,” Cardwell explained. “And he said ‘well, you need to come to Baldwin County ER because I think we have your guys down here.”
Cardwell said he went to the hospital and talked to the victim and the other four men.
“They said they were at the Eatonton Waffle House but they didn’t do any shooting,” he said. “They said they left and just drove up (to Milledgeville Waffle House) and this guy was laying on the ground and they picked him up and took him to the ER. Of course, the contents of their car caused them to get some charges.”
Sellers said a search of the SUV revealed four weapons, two that had been reported stolen.
Jeremiah Larone James, 18, of Gordon; Javon Quentin Robinson, 20, of Milledgeville; Tyreon Terrell Simmons, 18, of Milledgeville; and Johnny Lee Gilmore, 25, or Milledgeville, were each charged with one count of theft by receiving stolen property. Gilmore also was charged with one count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
All four were arrested at the Atrium hospital and are being held in the Baldwin County Law Enforcement Center jail. Chief Cardwell said no charges have been filed against any of those men in relation to the shooting in Eatonton, “but I am still investigating them.”
Regarding the shooter of the Milledgeville incident, Sellers said no one has been arrested.
“He has cooperated with the investigation and we believe the shooting was the result of self-defense,” he explained, noting both men said they had been arguing earlier that weekend.
Cardwell said he is continuing to work with Milledgeville, Greene, and Putnam County authorities to identify people in the security camera videos and more charges or arrests may be pending.
“Major Boyer, MPD Sgt. Brandon Crawford, Putnam County Sheriff’s Lt. Harry Luke and Sheriff Howard Sills are all a big help,” he said. “I want the message out that we are not going to tolerate this kind of thing in Eatonton. People can’t even go out to eat late at night anymore and feel safe because bullets don’t have a name on them.”
Anyone with information regarding the Eatonton shooting is asked to call Cardwell 706-485-3551 or 478-288-3386. Anyone with information on the Milledgeville shooting should call Sellers at 478-414-4075 or Boyer 478- 414- 4064.