In the late afternoon of July 17, 2024, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace in the 500 block of Edgefield Road in North Augusta, South Carolina. When the echoes faded, 27-year-old James L. Wright Jr., a Black male, was found lying between two buildings, having sustained at least one gunshot wound. Emergency services were called to the scene, but it was too late. Wright was pronounced dead at 3:46 p.m.
by the Aiken County EMS.
Investigators responding to a 911 call from a person inside a nearby store who heard the shots pieced together the tragic events of that afternoon. Surveillance footage from the area revealed a chilling sequence. A light-colored Infiniti SUV was seen pulling into a paved lot adjacent to 356 Edgefield Road. Three armed individuals exited the vehicle, approached Wright, and fired multiple shots. The assailants then returned to the SUV and fled the scene, heading left on Edgefield Road toward Interstate 20.
The Aiken County Sheriff's Office, along with the North Augusta Department of Public Safety and the Aiken County Coroner's Office, launched a homicide investigation. Authorities have identified at least four Black male suspects involved in the shooting and have described them as armed and dangerous. Despite the availability of surveillance footage and public appeals for information, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of James L. Wright Jr. The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to seek information from the community that could lead to the whereabouts of the suspects and the vehicle used in the commission of the crime.
