In the predawn hours of Labor Day, September 5, 2022, a burst of gunfire in the parking lot of Jack’s Bar & Grille in Hartwell, Georgia, left two men dead. One victim was 39-year-old Roberius Meqwan Thornton of Hartwell; the other was 25-year-old Joseph Tyrone Johnson of Bowman. At least two other people were wounded and several vehicles were struck by gunfire. Jack’s Bar & Grille closed in the days after the shooting.

The Hartwell Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened a double-homicide probe, but investigators say the case has gone completely cold with no arrests and no publicly identified suspects as of the two-year mark. Officials report a lack of witness cooperation and have repeatedly asked the public for tips, including anonymous submissions through the GBI. Thornton’s wife, Crystal Thornton, has organized events to keep attention on the unsolved killings.

If anyone saw the shooting or has information about the parking lot shooting on September 5, 2022, please contact the Hartwell Police Department or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.