In the quiet community of Appling, Georgia, a tragic series of events unfolded, forever marking a dark day for the small town. Roosevelt 'Dick' Burns, a 75-year-old male, found his life abruptly ended on Friday, April 22, 2016, a victim of a senseless act of violence that claimed the lives of four others. The peaceful rhythm of Appling was shattered by a domestic dispute that escalated into a deadly rampage, leaving families and the community in a state of shock and grief.
The architect
of this devastation was 50-year-old Wayne Anthony Hawes. Described by his own daughter as a 'ticking time bomb,' Hawes embarked on a shooting spree that spanned two separate locations within about a mile of each other. The violence was reportedly triggered by a domestic dispute with his wife, who had recently left him. In the wake of this turmoil, Hawes targeted and killed five individuals, including members of his wife's family and others known to him within the community.
Among the victims was Roosevelt Burns, who was the brother of Hawes's mother-in-law, Rheba Mae Dent. The other victims were identified as Dent, 85, her granddaughter Trequila Clark, 31, and a married couple, Shelly and Lizzy Williams, ages 62 and 59 respectively. The shootings occurred at two different residences, with Burns, Dent, and Clark being killed at one location, and the Williams couple at another. The violent outburst was swift and brutal, leaving a trail of sorrow and unanswered questions.
Following the shootings, a manhunt for Wayne Hawes ensued. The search concluded when authorities discovered him deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the garage of his own home. Evidence found at the scene suggested he had also attempted to set the house on fire. With the suspect having taken his own life, there were no arrests to be made, and the legal chapter of this tragedy closed before it could truly begin, leaving the community to mourn the profound loss of five of its members.
