An inmate shot and killed a 24-year-old woman working in the prison kitchen before turning the gun on himself.
The fatal shooting happened in the early hours of Sunday at Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia.
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At around 4.30 a.m., Jaydrekus Hart shot a female food service worker in the jail kitchen. Aureon Shavea Grace was the name of the kitchen worker who worked for the food service company Aramark.
The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is conducting an investigation.
The department informed The Independent, “The weapon is currently in GDC custody, and we will conduct a full and thorough investigation into the events leading up to this tragic incident.” “The GDC Special Agents are responding and providing staffing support to the facility.”
Hart was serving a 20-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County, with a release date of June 2043.
It is not clear how Hart obtained the weapon. A jail spokesperson promised to share more details as they become available.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family,” Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert said in a statement. “This is a tragedy for all of us.”
The company was assisting Georgia prison officials with their investigation.
Grace’s friends and relatives remembered her as “kind and pure-hearted” with a “beautiful smile.”
“It was a pleasure working with you and getting to know you, especially your laughter; we both enjoy eating,” said one colleague on a memorial website. “I’m praying for your family and infants. You will truly be missed.”
One wrote, “Prayers and love to the family, especially her children. She was a really sweet young lady who was close friends with my daughter; we will miss her greatly.” We adore you.
“Your mood and aura were all grace. Another individual commented, “You were so kind and pure-hearted that you did not deserve this.”
It’s the second tragic event at Smith State Prison in less than a year, following the death of a correctional officer in October.
Correctional officer Robert Clark was escorting two offenders out of the dining hall when one of them assaulted him from behind with a handmade weapon, according to the GDC.
The other criminal intervened on Clark’s behalf and assaulted him as well. They rushed Clark, 42, to the hospital for treatment, but his injuries claimed his life.
“The entire GDC team is mourning the loss of one of our own, and we collectively express our deepest condolences to Officer Clark’s family and friends,” Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said in a statement at the time.
“We will support them as they navigate this tragedy over the coming days, weeks, and months.”
