A Keysville man is behind bars without bond after Richmond County authorities charged him with murder in the October shooting death of a 21-year-old Beech Island man found slumped in his car outside an Augusta grocery store. Donovan Crawford, 22, was arrested Friday in connection with the killing of Christian White, who was shot in the parking lot of the IGA on Deans Bridge Road.
Crawford is being held in the Charles B. Webster Detention Center without bond, according to The Augusta Press. The arrest comes nearly a month after White was found shot on Oct. 2 outside the IGA, and the outlet reports that a motive for the killing remains unclear.
What Happened the Night White Was Shot
Deputies responded to reports of gunfire at approximately 12:02 a.m. on Oct. 2 and found White seated in the driver's seat of a Hyundai Elantra in the IGA parking lot, per the same account from The Augusta Press. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to Richmond County Sheriff's Sgt. Walter McNeil.
White was transported to Wellstar MCG Health with gunshot wounds to his upper torso and was pronounced dead at 1:43 a.m., according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division responded to the scene and assumed the investigation, the outlet's earlier report noted. An autopsy had been scheduled to help determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, as reported by WFXG.
Conflicting Reports on the IGA's Address
Reporting on the shooting's location has varied. WFXG described the scene as the IGA at 3355 Deans Bridge Road, while WRDW identified the address as 3335 Deans Bridge Road. WRDW also noted at the time that the shooting marked the second in Richmond County that week.
Crime Numbers Show a Downward Trend Countywide
The arrest comes against the backdrop of broader declines in violent crime across Richmond County. Homicides dropped 35% year-over-year from 2024 to 2025, reaching their lowest level since 2021, according to data reported by WRDW. Aggravated assaults also fell 35% over the same period, hitting their lowest mark since 2018, while armed robberies dropped 36%, their lowest level since the county began recording crime data in 2011.
Traffic fatalities in the county fell 43% from 2024 to 2025 as well, per the same WRDW report. The outlet noted that the first homicide of 2026 in Richmond County occurred on Jan. 6. As of this reporting, no further details on charges, an arrest affidavit, or a court date for Crawford have been made available.
