Shootout at Oglethorpe Mall: What happened, the suspects and where the case stands
By Graham Cawthon
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SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — Six suspects are behind bars facing dozens of charges stemming from a shootout inside a Savannah shopping mall.
The incident left three people with gunshot wounds and later led prosecutors to pursue murder and gang charges.
Here’s what we know about the shootout at Oglethorpe Mall.
Police said two adult men and a juvenile were shot inside Oglethorpe Mall in the late afternoon of July 2, 2025 and were taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
After the shots were reported, Savannah police evacuated the mall and the department’s SWAT team swept the building to ensure there was no ongoing threat, police said. Investigators initially asked the public for tips through CrimeStoppers and the Savannah Police Department’s mobile app.
Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones later said a mall patron, Olislene “Tina” Smith, suffered cardiac arrest while trying to flee after hearing gunfire. Smith was found unresponsive outside the mall and taken to the hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator, the district attorney said. Her family later chose to remove her from life support after brain activity did not resume, Cook Jones said.
In the immediate aftermath, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson urged caution about labeling the violence while the investigation was ongoing. In an email response to questions about claims the shooting involved rival gangs, Johnson said the city would not “deal with hearsay from anyone not directly involved in the investigation,” adding, “We will do the responsible thing and wait until the facts are known and call it what it is.”
After the grand jury indictments were announced months later, Johnson responded by emphasizing accountability. “Our citizens demand accountability. Mrs. Tina’s family deserves justice, and we will wait to see what the legal process yields,” he said in a statement. “But to those who choose to pull triggers in this community, you can expect a similar result for your dangerous actions.”
On Oct. 1, 2025, the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury indicted six suspects — Royce Haynes, Aujawan Hymon, Franklin James, Dahmil Johnson, Johnathan Elijah Jones and Theron Robbins — on felony charges stemming from the shooting.
In a statement, the district attorney’s office said the grand jury found probable cause to charge the defendants with offenses including felony murder, aggravated assault, unlawful gang activity and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Prosecutors said the indictment also includes multiple counts of unlawful criminal gang activity and alleges the crimes were committed in connection with a criminal street gang identified as the “1100.”
The district attorney’s office said several defendants were under 18 at the time of the offense but would be tried as adults.
A trial is expected in early 2026.
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