Sunday, January 8, 2012

Augusta, GA: Witnesses saw man shoot wife, himself in FPL Food parking lot

Before fatally shooting his wife in a back parking lot Thursday at FPL Food, Emanuel Jordan told his employer that he would be leaving work briefly but didn’t say why, according to authorities.

Witnesses said Jordan, 21, shot Tia Jordan, 40, with a hunting rifle then turned the gun on himself. Authorities were called about 1:15 p.m. to the plant at 1301 New Savannah Road, where they discovered the bodies.

“No one noticed they were arguing,” said Lt. Blaise Dresser of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, which is continuing to investigate the murder-suicide. “They just saw her walking away and him pull a gun out and shoot her.”

The couple had been married for about a year and shared a home on Hephzibah McBean Road in Hephzibah, according to investigators. Authorities said it is unknown whether the couple had previous problems in their relationship.

They did not have any children, although Emanuel Jordan had several by other women.

The shooting wasn’t Emanuel Jordan’s first domestic incident. He was arrested in May 2008 after he was accused of punching his girlfriend in the face. According to an incident report, Jordan and his girlfriend, who was three months pregnant, were arguing at their Wrightsboro Road apartment when it escalated after they began slapping each other. In is unclear in the report who slapped first.

When officers arrived, Jordan and his girlfriend were charged with family violence, simple battery, but neither charge was prosecuted.

Jordan was also charged with theft by receiving stolen property when officers found a stolen handgun in his possession during their investigation. Jordan admitted to officers he had bought it from a friend for $40.

Authorities said it is unknown whether the weapon used in the murder-suicide was stolen.

Tia Jordan, who was a registered nurse with University Home Health Care, was the first homicide in 2012 for Richmond County.

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