In the early morning of June 17, 2023, 42-year-old James Brinson, a Black man from Augusta, Georgia, was found in the yard of a residence on the 2800 block of Lumpkin Road after a reported shooting. Deputies arrived after a call and Brinson was taken to Wellstar MCG, where he was pronounced dead at 8:43 a.m. He had been remembered as a talented musician and a successful landscaper who graduated from Josey High School.

Investigators reported the shooting followed a heated argument between Brinson and a woman named Garnett Gaines. Authorities allege Garnett called her son, Mikeem Gaines, during the dispute, and that Mikeem then fired the shot before leaving the scene; it was also reported that Garnett delayed calling for emergency services. A friend of a potential suspect later provided information, saying they had been threatened, which produced a key lead in the investigation.