In the quiet town of Sandersville, Georgia, the night of Sunday, July 27, 2025, was shattered by an eruption of violence that claimed the lives of two young men. Among the victims was 22-year-old Jonathan Carnez Burden, a male resident of Sandersville, whose life was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire at the Washington Manor Apartments.
The incident unfolded just before midnight in the courtyard of the apartment complex on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Responding to reports of a shooting, law enforcement officers arrived to a grim scene. They discovered two individuals had been shot. Jonathan Carnez Burden was found with a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, 19-year-old Elijah Alphonso Graham, also from Sandersville, was gravely injured. Despite being rushed to the Washington County Regional Medical Center for emergency treatment, Graham succumbed to his injuries.
In the immediate aftermath, the Sandersville Police Department, in conjunction with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, launched a double homicide investigation. Their efforts quickly identified a suspect: 36-year-old Damian Kennon Reaves, also known by the street name 'Knowledge.' A warrant was issued for his arrest, and a public alert was issued, cautioning that Reaves was to be considered armed and dangerous.
A tense, five-day manhunt for Reaves ensued, drawing in multiple law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals. The search culminated on Friday, August 1, 2025, in Milledgeville, Georgia. Acting on tips, officers located Reaves at an apartment on Habersham Street. He was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Washington County to face questioning in connection with the double homicide. Following his apprehension, he was expected to be booked into the Washington County Jail. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly disclosed.
