In the early morning hours of April 19, 2019, the life of 18-year-old Brian Harris Jr. was tragically cut short in Augusta, Georgia. An African American male, Harris was a passenger in a vehicle at a Chevron gas station located at the intersection of Gordon Highway and Olive Road. As the car he was in was preparing to leave the station, another vehicle blocked its path. Two men, later identified as Keshun Carswell and Artavius Ward, exited their car and approached the vehicle Harris was in.
The two men said something to Harris before opening fire on him from both sides of the car while he was seated in the back. A witness who had driven Harris to the gas station testified that he had briefly gotten out of the car and then returned just before the shooting occurred. During cross-examination at the subsequent trial, the witness also stated that Harris was in possession of a gun and had gone to the gas station to conduct a drug deal. The prosecution would later characterize the shooting as an 'execution-style hit.' An autopsy revealed that Harris had been shot multiple times, with seven bullets entering the left side of his body from the firearm discharged by Ward.
Following the deadly encounter, a swift investigation led to the apprehension of Keshun Carswell shortly after the incident. His accomplice, Artavius Ward, managed to evade capture for several months before he was located and arrested in Newport News, Virginia. Both men, who were 30 years old at the time of their trial, were indicted on charges of malice murder, felony murder, and pointing a gun at two other individuals who were in the car with Harris. They were held in custody without bond from the time of their arrests.
On October 6, 2023, a jury found both Keshun Carswell and Artavius Ward guilty of the murder of Brian Harris Jr. The court sentenced both men to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing phase, Carswell's defense attorney argued for a more lenient sentence for her client, pointing out that he had not fired the fatal shots. However, the judge did not make a distinction between the two defendants in the sentencing. The family of Brian Harris Jr. was present to express their profound grief and the devastating impact his murder has had on their lives.
