Dereck Hilton, a 34-year-old Black man from Sardis, was killed in the early morning hours of July 30, 2022, after gunfire erupted at a crowded gathering on Claxton Road in Girard, Georgia. The shooting occurred around 1:00 to 1:40 a.m. at a location described by authorities as an unlicensed bar or shot house. About 60 people were present when multiple guns were fired; investigators reported shell casings from at least three weapons. Hilton was one of five people shot and was taken to Burke Health, where he died.

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office identified two suspects shortly after the shooting: Jawuandre Dimera Kelly and Jordan James Perkins, each wanted on murder charges in Hilton’s death and four counts of aggravated assault for the other victims. Arrests were reported in December 2022: Perkins was taken into custody after a lengthy standoff in North Augusta, South Carolina, and Kelly was arrested two days later by DeKalb County authorities. A Burke County grand jury indicted both on malice murder and felony murder counts; the owner-operator of the Claxton Road property, Kenneth Brigham, was charged with maintaining a disorderly house.

Does anyone have information about the Claxton Road location or the events that night?