Georgia · Hancock County · Shooting
Sparta, GA Party Shooting: 5 Shot in Hancock County, Al'najjee Morris in Critical Condition
Gunfire broke out at a backyard party outside Sparta shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday. By the time deputies got there, the five wounded had already been taken to hospitals in private vehicles, the sheriff's office chief investigator said. The GBI is now running the investigation, and no one has been arrested.
Key facts
- Where
- A residence in the Beulah community outside Sparta, Hancock County
- When
- Sunday, Aug. 16 — first 911 call at 2:52 a.m.
- What
- Multiple gunshots fired at a backyard party; five people shot
- Critical
- Al'najjee Morris, 21 — Atrium Health Navicent-The Medical Center, Macon
- Stable
- Aniyah Woodson, 22; Dillon Chapman, 20; Miracle Hunt, 21; Yamari Halim, 21
- Investigating
- GBI Region 6, Milledgeville, with the Hancock County Sheriff's Office assisting
- Arrests
- None
What happened at the party in Sparta?
Five people were shot at a party outside Sparta early Sunday, and one of them is still in critical condition, according to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The first 911 call came in at 2:52 a.m., Hancock County Sheriff's Office Chief Investigator Thomas Resha told The Union-Recorder at the sheriff's office Sunday afternoon. Multiple gunshots had been fired at a home in the Beulah community, outside the county seat.
Deputies reached the scene within about 10 minutes of that call, Resha said. Everyone who had been shot was already gone by then, taken to area hospitals in private vehicles.
WSB-TV reported that deputies responded to a party around 3 a.m. and that five people had been shot. WRDW reported that deputies were called for gunfire at about the same hour and that all five were taken to local hospitals.
One victim was listed in critical condition and the other four in stable condition, FOX 5 Atlanta and 41NBC reported, citing the sheriff's office.
Where did the Sparta shooting happen?
Sparta is the seat of Hancock County, in central Georgia. The party was in the backyard of a man's home in the surrounding Beulah community, GBI Special Agent in Charge Mary Chandler told The Union-Recorder.
Several people were there. “They said it was a large crowd,” Chandler said.
Accounts differ on the road: FOX 5 Atlanta, WSB-TV, WRDW and 41NBC each placed the party on Beulah Highway, while The Union-Recorder described the home as being off Beulah Road. The house number has not been released, and it is not published here.
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Who was shot?
The most seriously injured victim is Al'najjee Morris, 21, Chandler told The Union-Recorder. She was taken first to the emergency department at Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin in Milledgeville, then flown by AirEvac Lifeteam to Atrium Health Navicent-The Medical Center in Macon, the nearest trauma center.
Chandler identified the four other victims as Aniyah Woodson, 22; Dillon Chapman, 20; Miracle Hunt, 21; and Yamari Halim, 21. All four were listed in stable condition, and all of the victims live in the local area, she said.
Three of them were admitted to the Macon hospital. A fourth was admitted to the hospital in Milledgeville.
How did deputies respond?
The chief deputy and other deputies went to the scene and started gathering what information they could while they waited on GBI special agents and a crime scene specialist to drive over from Milledgeville, Resha told The Union-Recorder.
The case was then handed to the GBI. “We, of course, will help them in trying to establish any leads that we can run down, but they are actually working the investigation,” Resha said. “We will keep them informed of whatever we receive on our end.”
Who is investigating the Hancock County shooting?
The GBI Region 6 Investigative Office in Milledgeville is running the case. Chandler, who leads that office, is overseeing it, and GBI Special Agent Mary L. Doolittle is the case agent, The Union-Recorder reported.
Chandler went to the scene herself, along with two field investigative agents and a crime scene specialist. Processing the scene took several hours.
Agents were still very early in the work and did not have much to go on, Chandler said. “We think multiple people were shooting, based on the crime scene,” she said.
WSB-TV reported that Hancock County investigators asked the GBI to assist.
Has anyone been arrested?
No. Chandler told The Union-Recorder there had been no arrests, and that investigators do not yet know the names of anyone involved in the gunfire.
It is not clear who fired, how many people fired, or whether anyone has been identified as a suspect. No death has been reported in the case.
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What we don't know yet
- What led to the shooting — officials have not described a motive or a dispute
- How many people fired, and who they were
- How long the party had been going on before the gunfire started
- Whether any of the five have since been released from the hospital
- Whether anyone will be charged
- Who hosted the party — the host has not been named
Who do I call with information?
Investigators want to hear from anyone who was at the party that night. The sheriff's office can be reached at 706-444-6471. The GBI's Region 6 office in Milledgeville takes tips at 478-445-4173.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Sparta party shooting happen?
At a residence in the Beulah community outside Sparta, in Hancock County. Several outlets, including FOX 5 Atlanta and WSB-TV, placed the party on Beulah Highway. The Union-Recorder described the party as being in the backyard of a man's home off Beulah Road.
When did the shooting happen?
Early Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. The first 911 call reached the Hancock County Sheriff's Office at 2:52 a.m., Chief Investigator Thomas Resha told the Union-Recorder. Deputies were on scene within about 10 minutes of that call.
How many people were shot?
Five. One was listed in critical condition and the other four in stable condition.
Who was shot in Hancock County?
Al'najjee Morris, 21, was the most seriously hurt. GBI Special Agent in Charge Mary Chandler identified the other four to the Union-Recorder as Aniyah Woodson, 22; Dillon Chapman, 20; Miracle Hunt, 21; and Yamari Halim, 21. Chandler said all of them live in the local area.
Which hospitals are the victims in?
Morris was taken first to Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin in Milledgeville and then flown by AirEvac Lifeteam to Atrium Health Navicent-The Medical Center in Macon. Three of the other victims were admitted to the Macon hospital and a fourth to the hospital in Milledgeville.
Has anyone died?
No death has been reported. Chandler said the four victims other than Morris were listed in stable condition.
Has anyone been arrested?
No. Chandler told the Union-Recorder there had been no arrests, and that investigators do not yet know the names of anyone involved.
How many people fired shots?
That has not been established. Chandler said of the scene, “We think multiple people were shooting, based on the crime scene.”
Which agency is investigating the Sparta shooting?
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 6 Investigative Office in Milledgeville. Special Agent Mary L. Doolittle is the case agent, and Chandler is overseeing the investigation. WSB-TV reported that Hancock County investigators requested the GBI's assistance.
Who do I call with information about the shooting?
Two numbers have been given out: the sheriff's office at 706-444-6471, and the GBI's Region 6 office in Milledgeville at 478-445-4173.
Sources
Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from the named news outlets linked above and from statements by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. Anyone named in connection with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.
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