Two teenage boys are dead and a third was flown to a trauma center after gunfire tore through an apartment at Brittany Place in LaGrange on Labor Day, with police saying a person inside the unit was acting erratically before a guest stepped outside and called 911. Suspect Joshua Preston is now facing two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, and a firearm charge in connection with the shooting.
Troup County Coroner Erin Hackley identified the three victims as male teenagers ages 17, 18, and 16, according to 11Alive. The 16-year-old was airlifted from the scene to a trauma center, the coroner said. Amarious Williams suffered multiple gunshot wounds inside Apartment 922 and was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries, per WSB-TV. Drevion Brewer was found dead outside an apartment building at the complex, the station reported.
How the Night Unraveled Inside Apartment 922
Before gunfire broke out, several people had gathered inside Apartment 922 when one person began acting erratically, prompting a guest to step outside and call 911, according to LaGrange Police Department statements relayed by FOX 5 Atlanta. LaGrange police received a 911 call shortly before 9 p.m. reporting multiple gunshots, and investigators later determined the shooting occurred inside that unit. A juvenile suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the incident, per the same account.
A nearby resident, Clay Pierce, told reporters that after hearing gunfire, someone knocked on his door asking for help. That led him to call 911 and locate the wounded teenager with a leg injury near a dumpster, the station's report states. Pierce provided aid to the wounded juvenile until first responders arrived, and he said violence has been an ongoing problem at the apartment complex, alleging that gang activity and drug activity were problems at the property.
Suspect Charged, More Charges Possible
Joshua Preston was identified as a suspect and taken into custody, facing two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, per WSB-TV. Investigators said additional charges are likely. Under Georgia Code ยง 16-5-1, malice murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, life imprisonment without parole, or the death penalty upon conviction, according to Mainor Wirth.
The LaGrange Police Department assigned Detective C. Brown to lead the homicide investigation and asked anyone with information to submit anonymous tips through the department's Tip411 mobile app or by texting LAGRANGE to 847411, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Key details remain under investigation, including the relationships among those involved and the specific motive that triggered the confrontation inside the apartment.
A Complex With a History of Gunfire
Brittany Place Apartments, the site of the shooting, is a multi-building residential complex located at 1235 Hogansville Road near Sanford Avenue in LaGrange, according to CNAW2News. This is not the first time gunfire has struck the property. In July 2025, two shooters opened fire on a driver sitting in a vehicle in front of Building 11, striking three apartment units and multiple vehicles, though no injuries were reported in that incident.
The Labor Day shooting also follows another multi-victim apartment complex shooting in LaGrange less than six months earlier. On March 30, 2026, 26-year-old Jakhala Moss and 18-year-old Jamarcus Kennedy were killed at the Cameron Crossing Apartments on Meadow Terrace, according to Now Georgia, in a case where two gunmen approached on foot and remained under investigation. FBI crime data for 2024 shows LaGrange recorded an overall crime rate of roughly 50 incidents per 1,000 residents, giving residents about a 1-in-20 chance of being a victim of property or violent crime, according to NeighborhoodScout, a rate the site says ranks higher than 97% of Georgia communities.
LaGrange police arrested a resident after gunfire damaged two homes on Baldwin Street, part of a string of recent violent incidents Hoodline has tracked in the city. Investigators have not said whether that case is connected to the Labor Day shooting at Brittany Place.
