Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday that the woman who shot and killed a suspect during a robbery at an Augusta, Georgia, Subway restaurant will not face charges.
The woman told police she immediately felt uneasy when the suspects walked in, so she went to a back room to get her gun. (Photo: WJBF)
The attempted robbery occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 21. The female clerk was working alone but her 14-year-old son was in the sandwich shop with her when the two suspects entered. One suspect immediately went to the restroom, while the other paced at the front of the business. Both were reportedly carrying crowbars. The second suspect then began to inquire with the clerk about the Atlanta area and asked if she had a car jack.
The clerk later told police that the suspects’ actions made her nervous, so she walked to a back room to retrieve a handgun from her purse. As soon as she did this, one of the suspects ordered the teen boy to also go to the back of the store, while the second suspect jumped over the counter.
But at some point, one of the suspects struck the teen over the head with a crowbar. The boy was injured, and his mother fired three shots at the suspects, striking one. Both suspects then fled on foot, but responding officers later found 24-year-old Cornelius Lamar Harrison, of Greensboro, North Carolina, lying in a nearby wooded area. He had been shot in the torso and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
The 14-year-old was also taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown.
According to local media, the second suspect was apprehended the following day after authorities responded to a second, unrelated call around 3 a.m. from a concerned citizen with reports of a suspicious person at a local hotel.
Responding officers realized the man was having a medical issue and he was taken to the hospital. The man originally told authorities his name was Brandon Simmons, but after running his fingerprints, they learned he was actually Howard Maurice Harris, 23. They also discovered he was in possession of methamphetamine and had prior encounters with law enforcement. In fact, he was wanted out of North Carolina on a probation violation stemming from previous drug charges. Additionally, he was the suspect in the attempted robbery the day before.
Harris was arrested and, according to the inmate roster for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, is facing charges for giving a false name, possession of methamphetamine, aggravated assault and murder. He is being held without bond.