In the early morning hours of January 5, 2026, 21-year-old Thaddeus Kirkland was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound on Hines Street in Augusta, Georgia. Deputies from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and emergency medical personnel responded after reports of gunfire; Kirkland was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m. by the Richmond County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was scheduled to determine the precise cause of death.

Kirkland was a resident of nearby Hephzibah. Investigators canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses and collected evidence at the scene in the days after the shooting, but no suspects had been publicly identified and no motive was reported. The case remains under investigation.

If anyone was in the Hines Street area around 2 a.m. on January 5 or has information that could help investigators, please come forward.