Ruben Johnson, a 20-year-old Black man from Augusta, Georgia, spent his last moments doing something he enjoyed: rapping. On the evening of Friday, November 29, 2024, he posted a minute-long Facebook Live video of himself performing a song. Just two minutes after the video ended, his life was cut short. His death was mourned online by friends and family, including his grandmother, Carol Santos, who asked for prayers for their family.
At 6:55 p.m., Richmond County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a shooting at The Jasper apartment complex on the 1000 block of Amli Way. Inside a residence, they found two men who had been shot. Both were transported to a local hospital for treatment. One of the men, Ruben Johnson, had been shot multiple times and was rushed to Doctors Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:23 p.m.
Investigators with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office determined that the incident was a home invasion.
According to warrants, two suspects had forced their way into the apartment, shot Johnson, and then fled the scene. The investigation quickly led to the identification of two suspects: 68-year-old Earnest Parkman and 21-year-old Jermaine Williams, both of Augusta. Authorities also discovered that Williams was the second man who had been found shot at the scene.
Earnest Parkman was arrested on November 30, the day after the shooting. While Jermaine Williams was recovering in the hospital from his own gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office obtained warrants for his arrest. After being discharged from the hospital, Williams was arrested and booked into the Richmond County Jail.
Both Earnest Parkman and Jermaine Williams were charged with murder, first-degree home invasion, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime. As of December 2024, both men were in custody as the case proceeded through the legal system. The motive for the home invasion and shooting has not been released.
