In the early hours of Sunday, June 26, 2022, the sound of numerous gunshots shattered the peace on North Church Street in Blakely, Georgia. When Blakely Police officers responded to the scene at approximately 12:45 a.m., they discovered a chaotic situation with multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Among them was 47-year-old Eric Eafford, a male resident of the community. First responders immediately began administering aid to the injured before Eafford was transported by EMS to LifeBrite Community Hospital, where he was tragically pronounced dead.
The shooting incident resulted in a total of seven known gunshot victims. While some were treated for their injuries and released, others sustained more serious wounds. The Blakely Police Department quickly secured the scene and launched an investigation, calling in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Region 15 Field Office to assist with processing the crime scene and conducting the follow-up investigation.
As investigators pieced together the events of that night, their work led them to three suspects. On the afternoon of Sunday, June 26th, an arrest warrant was issued for 19-year-old Jataveous “Josh” James on a charge of Aggravated Assault. He was taken into custody the following day in Blakely and booked into the Early County Jail. Warrants were also obtained on Monday for 24-year-old Javen Ransom and 18-year-old Joshuah “Josh” Burden, both also for Aggravated Assault. Ransom surrendered to the Blakely Police Department, and Burden turned himself in to authorities later that evening.
The legal process for the three men charged in connection with the shooting that claimed Eric Eafford's life and injured six others began to unfold. While the cases against Jataveous “Josh” James and Javen Ransom are still pending, the trial for Joshuah “Josh” Burden concluded in November 2024. After a week-long trial, an Early County jury found the now 20-year-old Burden guilty on all 12 counts he faced. The charges included one count of voluntary manslaughter for the death of Eric Eafford, ten counts of aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The incident was reportedly sparked by an argument between two men at the gathering.
