Newly unseen surveillance video sheds light on Oglethorpe Mall shooting as attorneys dispute gang retaliation claims

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Was the Oglethorpe Mall shooting a violent gang retaliation act—or an armed robbery that turned to a shootout?

That question remains central to the ongoing investigation of the July 2nd shooting in Savannah at the Oglethorpe Mall, which left one woman dead, Tina Smith.

SEE: Woman hospitalized from heart complications after Oglethorpe Mall shooting passes away

Six young men are facing serious charges in connection with the shooting.

SEE: Bond denied for 2 out of 5 Oglethorpe Mall shooting suspects

Bond has been denied for 2 of the suspects so far, as the Recorder’s Court can’t set a bond.

On Wednesday, a packed courtroom saw families of the suspects, the victim- Tina Smith’s family, the District Attorney’s office, and legal counsel for all parties.

Chatham County’s District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones represented the State herself in this hearing.

Jones requested a 30-day continuance, citing that the investigation remains incomplete.

Jones says she wants all 6 men in custody first— to have 1 record, 1 transcript, and to keep the cases together.

DA Jones says they are still collecting evidence and are now working with Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr’s office to potentially bring more charges.

Her motion was granted, and the preliminary hearing was pushed to August 27th.

“Photographs, videos, ballistics, and all kinds of things that go into a case of this scale. And so this is not the average battery or the standard case. It’s a large-scale case that requires a large-scale investigation, and I fully intend to make sure that the case is prosecuted thoroughly, efficiently, and successfully for our citizens,” said DA Jones.

In an exclusive sit-down, a defense attorney in this case showed new surveillance footage to our Madalyn Bierster that appears to contradict earlier reports suggesting the shooting was retaliation for a June murder in Savannah.

According to the attorney and the footage our Madalyn Bierster watched, the footage from inside the mall allegedly shows Dahmil Johnson and Theron Robbins walking together before encountering Royce Haynes, Aujawan Hymon, Johnathan Jones, and Franklin James near the store, Elevate.

The video appears to capture Haynes trying to snatch Robbins’ chain from his neck—the apparent catalyst for a shootout in the mall.

That video has not been released to the public yet.

While local leaders have not ruled out gang involvement, the new footage supports this attorney’s view that the incident started as an armed robbery attempt, not gang retaliation, nor retaliation for a prior murder.

District Attorney Jones confirmed her office is working with the Georgia Attorney General’s team. A special prosecutor is now involved to investigate whether gang-related charges are warranted.

SEE: Gang Prosecution Unit expanding to Savannah, officially announced in Gov. Kemp’s budget

“I think it’s no secret that there are some gang implications involved in this case,” Jones said. “The AG’s office does have additional resources. We want to gather intelligence not just here in Chatham County, but from around the state about involvement so that we can investigate that.”

“Let’s be real. It happened in the middle of the day in a public place where all of our kids are, and it touched everybody in this community. So it deserves every resource.”

Most defense attorneys consented to the continuance, provided indictments are delayed until the preliminary hearing. Asked whether her office would honor that condition, Jones responded, “I’m going to let the law and criminal procedure do its work. I certainly respect Judge Yancey. I also respect my fellow members of the bar. So in the coming weeks, we’ll see what happens.”

Aujawan Hymon, previously charged only with illegal weapon possession, had his charges upgraded Wednesday morning to include felony murder and aggravated assault. The upgraded warrants were served while he was in jail.

The sole suspect not in custody remains 16-year-old Franklin James. Though his attorney appeared in court for him, James has yet to turn himself in, despite expectations that he would do so on Monday.

The focus of the case still remains: the death of Tina Smith.

I never got a chance to meet Ms. Smith. I did have an opportunity to speak closely with her niece and her other family members since this incident. I feel the way about Ms. Smith that I feel about all victims of violent crime in Chatham County. That’s why I do this work. It’s important to me. And so I am glad to see that they, I’m, of course, sorry for their loss, but glad to see that they are involved at the ground level. And we expect to give them the greatest, highest care and services that we can.

DA Jones

Investigations continue as authorities piece together exactly what triggered the violence at Oglethorpe Mall on July 2nd.

The next hearing is set for August 27.