An Augusta felon is facing multiple charges after allegedly opening fire during a fireworks celebration early Saturday morning, striking one person and endangering two others nearby.
Edwin Jerome Anderson, 35, of 601 Giddings Court, was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. Saturday in the activity field of an Gateway Crossing apartment complex on Giddings Court, where Anderson and several coworkers from Vivint were gathered to celebrate with fireworks.
One of the victims, 20-year-old Mannix Cooksey of Augusta, told police he felt a sudden sharp pain in his stomach and initially believed he had been struck by a firework. Upon lifting his shirt, he noticed discoloration on his lower abdomen. He was taken to Doctors Hospital, where doctors told him that he had been shot. The bullet entered through the left side of his lower back and lodged in his stomach.
Two other coworkers — women aged 30 and 31 — were also in close proximity when the shots were fired. While they were not physically injured, police charged Anderson with aggravated assault on all three, citing the danger his actions posed to everyone in the area.
Witnesses said Anderson appeared extremely intoxicated at the time, and investigators believe the shooting may have been reckless rather than intentional.
Anderson has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault from June 2016 in Shelby County, Tennessee, which makes it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
The type of weapon used has not been confirmed. Anderson remains in custody at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center as the investigation continues.
