On a tragic Friday evening in Augusta, Georgia, the lives of two best friends were cut short in a brutal act of domestic violence. Mercedes Nora Shanice Gibson, a 27-year-old female, and her lifelong friend, Raven Michelle Tolbert, also 27, were fatally shot on January 14, 2022. The two women, who had been friends since their high school days at Glenn Hills High School, were together at a residence on Bungalow Road when the shooting occurred.
A third woman was also wounded in the attack but survived her injuries. The children of the victims were present at the time of the shooting but were physically unharmed.
The incident was sparked by a domestic dispute, reportedly fueled by jealousy. The suspect was identified as 26-year-old Tarrez Latrell Booker, who was said to be in a relationship with one of the victims. Authorities believe that Booker became enraged after seeing one of the women talking to another man earlier in the day. He later went to the home, forced his way inside, and opened fire, killing both Gibson and Tolbert.
Following the shooting, a manhunt for Booker ensued. In the early morning hours of the following day, investigators tracked him to the Gordon Inn Suites. As law enforcement officers approached his room, they heard a single gunshot from within. The Richmond County SWAT team was dispatched to the scene and, upon entering the room, discovered Booker deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Booker had a history of criminal activity and was reportedly a member of the LOE gang. He had been released from prison in March of the previous year after serving a decade-long sentence for an armed robbery he committed as a teenager. His death brought an end to the immediate investigation, leaving a community to mourn the senseless loss of two young mothers and best friends. A candlelight vigil was held at the scene of the crime, where friends and family gathered to remember Mercedes Gibson and Raven Tolbert.
