On the evening of February 18, 2026, in the Maple Leaf Drive area of Staunton, Virginia, 18-year-old Andrew "AJ" Wayne Mitts Jr. was fatally shot. The male teenager was a senior at Buffalo Gap High School and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another individual, a 19-year-old male, sustained life-threatening injuries during the incident and was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center.
The Augusta County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 7:46 p.m. and discovered the two victims with gunshot wounds. Authorities later described the event as an isolated incident related to the illegal sale of handguns and recovered numerous firearms from the scene. While the official investigation points to a gun sale, a close friend of Mitts' mother initiated a GoFundMe campaign and stated that he was "taking out the trash when he was caught in the crossfire of a robbery and was shot five times." Mitts was remembered as a "great young man, set to graduate this year, with so much promise and a bright future ahead of him."
In connection with the fatal shooting, two men have been taken into custody. Agereon Dondell Price, 51, of Staunton, turned himself in to authorities and was arrested on February 20, 2026. He was initially taken into custody on an outstanding warrant from Fluvanna County Circuit Court for a drug-related conviction. Anthony Shamon Washington, 46, of Waynesboro, also turned himself in and was arrested on February 22, 2026.
Washington has been charged with several offenses, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Augusta County. He also faces charges in Waynesboro for possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance with intent to distribute, and another count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Both men are being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail. The investigation remains active, and authorities have indicated that additional charges are expected.
