2 killed, 35 hurt in shooting at Georgia homecoming block party
Gunfire broke out at a crowded homecoming block party in Vienna, Ga., early Sunday, killing two young men and injuring 35 people ages 14 to 51. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not given a motive or said how many people fired.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Dooly County deputies were patrolling the neighborhood party when shots were fired from the 900 block of Pine Street at about 1:25 a.m., the GBI said. Deputies found several people shot. Two people were found dead in the 600 block of Pine Street.
Why it matters
Vienna is a rural town about 130 miles south of Atlanta. The shooting came a week after 12 teenagers were wounded at a birthday party in a Macon park, about 50 miles north, AP reported. "It's not supposed to happen in a small town like that," Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What’s next
Autopsies will be done at the GBI Medical Examiner's Office, and the finished case file will go to the Cordele Judicial Circuit district attorney. The GBI asks anyone with information to call its Perry office at (478) 987-4545 or 1-800-597-TIPS.
More context
Gunfire erupted at a crowded homecoming block party in the small south Georgia city of Vienna early Sunday. Two young men were killed and 35 other people were hurt, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
The victims: The GBI identified the dead as Ja'Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. The injured range in age from 14 to 51, and their conditions range from stable to critical, the sheriff and GBI said. Fox News reported most were shot, while others were hit by cars or hurt as the crowd fled. GBI Director Chris Hosey said he could not yet say how many had gunshot wounds.
The scene: More than 1,000 people were at the party, and more than 50 shots were fired in at least two spots about a block apart, Sheriff Craig Peavy told WMAZ-TV. He said deputies were posted at the ends of the party, but more gunfire broke out a block away as they responded. "We don't know if it's coming at us or someone else," Peavy said.
Homecoming weekend: The party came during homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School, but the school system's superintendent, Sherrod Willaford, said it was not a school event. Schools will open Monday with added safety measures, he said. Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels said the city had not issued a permit for the block party.
The investigation: No arrests had been reported Sunday night, and officials have not given a motive or said how many people fired. Authorities do not believe there is a remaining threat to the public, Reuters reported. Hosey said the GBI activated six investigative units. "We don't want to presume anything as to what caused it," he told reporters. Peavy urged those responsible to come forward: "Please turn yourself in, because we're doing everything we can to find out who you are."
7 listed sources
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Oct 4, 2026: GBI Investigates Shooting Deaths in Dooly County, GA (release and update)
- Associated Press (Mike Stewart, Scott Bauer), Oct 4, 2026: 2 killed, dozens hurt as gunfire erupts at homecoming block party in south Georgia (via WRAL)
- Reuters (via The Hindu), Oct 4, 2026: Georgia block party shooting kills two, injures dozens
- Fox News (Landon Mion), Oct 4, 2026: Mass shooting at South Georgia block party leaves 2 dead and 35 injured
- WSB-TV Atlanta (Michael Doudna), Oct 4, 2026: Sheriff, GBI give new details after Georgia homecoming mass shooting
- FOX 5 Atlanta, Oct 4, 2026: Georgia mass shooting: 2 killed in block party ID-ed, 35 recovering
- Sourcing note: core facts come from the GBI's official release and are confirmed by AP and Reuters (wires), Fox News and two Atlanta TV stations. Quotes from the coroner and a party guest to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the sheriff's comments to WMAZ-TV, are as reported by AP.
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
This is a developing story. Counts and details come from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Dooly County sheriff as of Sunday evening and may change. A re-check at about 9:20 p.m. PT found no arrests, no suspect or shooter count, no motive and no change in casualty numbers. The victims' names follow the GBI's official spelling; some news outlets spell their first names differently.
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