Suspect sought in Augusta murder of Wrens 16-year-old

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office are investigating a deadly shooting that happened Friday night – the latest in an outbreak of violent crime that’s claimed more than 170 lives across the CSRA in two years.

The Richmond County Coroner’s Office said the shooting took place in the parking lot of 2622 Peach Orchard Road.

The coroner said 16-year-old Sadiq Brown of Wrens was shot at least one time and taken to Piedmont Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m.

At 10:55 p.m., the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to a local hospital about a male subject who had been shot.

Upon arrival, deputies were informed that the male subject had been transported by car to the hospital with at least one gunshot wound.

As of Saturday morning, Richmond County deputies are looking for 18-year-old Kieran Darnell Walters. Walters is wanted for murder in reference to the shooting that killed Brown.

Deputies said Walters currently has an active warrant for his arrest on a murder charge.

According to deputies, Walters is known to frequent the Harrisburg Neighborhood and is to be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information concerning Walters is encouraged to Inv. Tyler Steerman or any Violent Crimes Investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1026 or 706-821-1020.

The shooting comes amid an outbreak of violent crime that’s killed a little over 170 people across the CSRA since April 2022. Communities large and small have been affected, but as the largest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.

Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs, and many of the victims and suspects have been young men, like Brown.

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