Two dead, 12 charged following rival motorcycle gang shooting on Sand Bar Ferry Road

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree is calling the deadly shooting from the weekend part of the 200 mass shootings that have already happened across the United States this year.

The sheriff pointed out that of the 12 suspects arrested and charged, only one person is local. Last weekend, the city had two major events, so there were plenty of resources. But he said they had no way of knowing shooters were crossing the state line to do harm.

“We didn’t know that trouble was coming to our city. We didn’t know trouble was already in our city,” Sheriff Roundtree told media during his press conference.

It was a big weekend in Augusta, from the Augusta Air Show’s 20 year return, to the music event of the year, May Fest.

Both events were a success. But not long after, the sheriff’s office responded to a mass shooting in East Augusta on Sand Bar Ferry Road and East Boundary. It’s right where the Outcast Motorcycle Club is located. That beef, he said, started in another state and played out during the Outcast cookout.

“It is our belief, that this incident stemmed from the incident that recently occurred in Florida involving the Outcast. And the Thug Riders came to Augusta in retaliation to that incident,” Roundtree explained, noting that Thug Riders are located in Florida and even showed up to May Fest.

The sheriff’s office arrested and charged 12 people with murder and aggravated assault. So far, only 10 have mug shots. Four were taken to the hospital. Three remain there. Two people died from the shooting.

“Four of the suspects were members of the Outcast Motorcycle Club and eight were members of Thug Riders. 13 motorcycles were confiscated, one vehicle, ten firearms were recovered from either inside the clubhouse, vehicles or nearby businesses where the suspects had tossed them while they were fleeing,” Sheriff Roundtree said.

The suspects below were taken to the hospital for treatment:

Jonathan Keaton (31 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Deja Dotson (30 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Larry Ross (44 years old) Hephzibah, GA – Thug Rider Member
Kenneth Taylor (43 years old) Boynton Beach, Florida – Outkast Club Member

During the course of the investigation, the following subjects were arrested and transported to Charles B. Webster Detention Center for the charge of Murder and Aggravated Assault:

Larry Ross (44 years old) Hephzibah, GA – Thug Rider Member
McKayla Rickett (26 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Matthew Willis (28 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Jessica Sapp (30 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Cory Sapp (30 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Freddie Crosson (39 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Tysen Harper (38 years old) Lumberton, NC – Outkast Club Member
Larry Sutton (42 years old) Fayetteville, NC – Outkast Club Member
James Bryant (31 years old) Fayetteville, NC – Outkast Club Member
Kenneth Taylor (43 years old) Boynton Beach, Florida – Outkast Club Member

Cory Sapp (30 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Freddie Crosson (39 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
James Bryant (31 years old) Fayetteville, NC – Outkast Club Member
Jessica Sapp (30 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Kenneth Taylor (43 years old) Boynton Beach, Florida – Outkast Club Member
Larry Ross (44 years old) Hephzibah, GA – Thug Rider Member
Larry Sutton (42 years old) Fayetteville, NC – Outkast Club Member
Matthew Willis (28 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
McKayla Rickett (26 years old) Kingsland, GA – Thug Rider Member
Tysen Harper (38 years old) Lumberton, NC – Outkast Club Member
Deja Dotson (30 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member

Roundtree, who went to the scene when it happened, described it as extremely large, 150 shell casings spread throughout the block, and neighborhoods with kids all nearby. He said it was a targeted attack with suspects traveling three to four hours to Augusta. But the office has intel that regional affiliates are mobilizing and coming to Augusta to retaliate. The sheriff added that he alerted Mayor Garnett Johnson about this possibility as well. Roundtree said he’s monitoring all of this in real time and will advise the public, who is also encouraged to share what they know of the incident too.

The sheriff added, “That’s why our South Carolina partners and our Georgia partners are now on alert. If they can see a large presence or receive actual information that there is a direct threat here in Augusta, we will be prepared to respond to it.”

We also asked the sheriff what’s being done to monitor local motorcycle gangs that could also do harm. He said, noting that not all large motorcycle groups pose a threat, that intelligence keeps track of groups that do pose a threat. And while some Outcast members had brushes with the law in the past, the group was not on their radar.

He also noted that of the weapons found inside of the club, more investigating needs to be done to determine if any were illegal. He said multiple arrests and other investigations could stem from this incident.

The sheriff said no homes or innocent bystanders were shot that they know of, but across the street was a facility that housed a new sheriff’s office patrol car that was damaged in the shooting. The investigation is only on its second day and the sheriff said there is much more to come.

The Sheriff also confirmed that a responding EMS vehicle ran over a deceased body at the scene, calling it a ‘freak accident’.

The accident report states that the vehicle, driven by Augusta Fire Shift Commander Gregory Hartshorne, was responding to the scene when he pulled into the parking lot on Prep Phillips Drive. He reportedly failed to see the body of Germayne Farrell lying at the south edge of the lot. Hartshorne claims the hood and fender of the vehicle obscured his vision, causing him to misjudge where Farrell’s body was on the ground.

Hartshorne’s vehicle dragged Farrell’s body 51 feet.

“[Farrell] was lying face down with his head to the north when he was struck by the undercarriage of [Hartshorne’s vehicle].”

Original article below:

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deadly Saturday evening shooting.

Deputies were called to the 100 block of Sand Bar Ferry Road at East Boundary on Saturday around 6:35 p.m. in reference to a shooting.

Once there, Deputies located at least five people who had been shot.

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen tells NewsChannel 6 that two people, Keith Coates, 30, of Valdosta, Ga., and Germayne Farrell, 51, Daytona Beach, Florida, died from their injuries. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

During a Monday morning press conference, Sheriff Richard Roundtree said the shootings happened after a fight broke out between two rival motorcycle gangs.

He confirmed that there are 12 suspects total in this case, three remain in the hospital.

The sheriff said that 8 people are from the motorcycle gang “Thug Riders” from Florida and the the other 4 suspects are part of the motorcycle gang “Outkast” from East Augusta.

Roundtree was at the scene and described it as extremely large, 150 shell casings spread throughout the block, 2 dead bodies and neighborhoods with kids all nearby.

The Sheriff also confirmed that a responding EMS vehicle ran over a deceased body at the scene, calling it a ‘freak accident’.

The suspects below were taken to the hospital for treatment:

Jonathan Keaton (31 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Deja Dotson (30 years old) St. Marys, GA – Thug Rider Member
Larry Ross (44 years old) Hephzibah, GA – Thug Rider Member
Kenneth Taylor (43 years old) Boynton Beach, Florida – Outkast Club Member

During the course of the investigation, the following subjects were arrested and transported to Charles B. Webster Detention Center for the charge of Murder and Aggravated Assault: