Augusta Mall murder: Here’s what we know today

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has charged the suspect in a weekend fatal shooting at Augusta Mall.

Authorities say Tony Burton, 37, of 2400 Acapulco Drive in Augusta, has been charged and booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. Burton is charged with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Deputies say one person was killed and one was injured in the shooting.

Deputies say it happened just before 3 p.m. Saturday after two males got into an altercation inside the mall. One of the men pulled out a gun and a struggle ensued. During that struggle, one of the males was shot multiple times. A female bystander was also shot once in the leg.

“When I went to make sure everyone is OK, I had seen blood everywhere,” said Osmond Paschal, a mall employee.

Individuals at the mall at the time of the shooting say the building erupted into chaos after the gunshots.

“People were just panicking, crying, running. I just -- I panicked myself and I ran, I ran myself as fast as I could,” shopper Otis Wright said.

Paschal says he’s worked at the mall for years, as well as other malls in Georgia and South Carolina, and had never experienced something like this.

“I’ve been working at the mall for like two to three years. Nothing like this has ever happened inside the mall,” Paschal said.

Investigators say the female victim’s injuries are not life-threatening, but the male, 26-year-old Derrell Little, of Augusta, was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m. at Doctors Hospital.

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