‘Absolutely heartbreaking’: Man killed, woman injured in shooting outside Statesboro restaurant

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - One man is dead, a woman is injured and a third pedestrian is injured while fleeing the scene of a deadly overnight shooting.

Police have identified the victim as 39-year-old Gregory Johnson.

The shooting happened after 9 p.m. on South Main Street in Statesboro. Johnson was fatally shot outside of Azul, a local Mexican restaurant. He was a Statesboro resident with ties to Claxton and Florida.

The woman is recovering from gunshot wounds, and the pedestrian was hit by a vehicle while running away from the scene.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 1 dead, 2 injured in Statesboro shooting

Mayor calls shooting ‘senseless violence’

Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar called the incident an act of senseless violence and one that is out of the ordinary for Statesboro.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking, because it’s a situation that did not have to happen,” McCollar said.

“This is very much not normal for our community as a matter of fact, this is the first homicide that we’ve had in the city of Statesboro since October,” McCollar said.

McCollar said Statesboro is a safe community and that violent crime in the city has been on a steady decline in recent years. However, McCollar said making Statesboro safe is a joint effort.

“We still have to continue to work together to make sure our neighborhoods and businesses can operate safely so that our children can have a safe place to live,” McCollar said.

Azul released a statement following the shooting. The restaurant said the safety of customers and staff remains their top priority and that they appreciate the support they have received from the community. They also said they are implementing additional measures to protect customers, but it is unclear what those are.

McCollar said the focus right now is on rallying around Johnson’s family and bringing justice.

“It’s all of our responsibility to keep this community safe, so if you see something, say something, notify the authorities so that we are able to bring about justice,” McCollar said.

Police said they are currently following several leads in this case but are asking for the community’s help. Anyone with information is asked to contact Statesboro Police Department or submit a tip through the department’s website.