Anthony Lee Flowers, a 33-year-old Black male from Augusta, Georgia, was caught in a fatal burst of violence on the morning of July 26, 2022, when what should have been an ordinary stop at Sonny’s Package, also described in reports as the Corner Store on Wheeless Road, turned deadly. Deputies were called to the store around 10:45 a.m. after reports of gunfire, and Flowers was found shot and rushed to Augusta University Medical Center.
Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen later said he was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m., leaving behind a case that stunned the city not only because of the killing itself, but because of how suddenly the confrontation seemed to spiral.
According to reporting on the investigation, the man identified as the suspect was Frederick Orlando McNeal, 62, of Augusta. Authorities said McNeal was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Accounts of the moments before the shooting described a dispute that may have started over something small, with reports mentioning a cigarette, a cigarette lighter, and even a slap during the argument. Investigators said McNeal escalated the encounter by going into the store with a Taurus. 357 Magnum revolver and firing at Flowers. The two men then reportedly struggled over the gun, and during that struggle more shots were fired, with Flowers suffering a gunshot wound at least once in the neck.
In the months that followed, the case carried on beyond the shooting scene and into the courthouse, where it stirred anger from Flowers’ family and supporters. Coverage from the time said McNeal was released on a signature bond, a decision that sparked outrage and led to public calls for justice, including a vigil and protest outside the Augusta Judicial Center. For the family, the grief of losing Flowers was compounded by the sight of the man accused in his death being allowed out of jail while the case was still pending.
The case eventually reached a jury, and by January 31, 2025, the prosecution had secured a conviction. Reporting that cited the Augusta District Attorney’s Office said McNeal was found guilty of felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. During trial, McNeal argued that he had acted in self-defense, but the jury rejected that account. So, in the end, the public record shows one named suspect, one arrest, and a conviction that closed the criminal case with a finding that the killing of Anthony Lee Flowers was not justified, but criminal.
