Man Goes Berserk, Kills Five People Then Guns Down Himself After Finding Out Wife Was About To Divorce Him

A 50-year-old man has gunned down five people. He gunned them down Friday evening before killing himself at home in Appling, Georgia.

Investigators found Wayne Anthony Hawes dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the early hours of Saturday.

They believe Hawes lost control after finding out his wife was divorcing him, a Columbia County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.

Four people died at the scene and one was pronounced dead in the hospital in Augusta.


The two shootings happened a short distance away from each other - one in Johnson Drive and the other at the corner of Johnson Drive and Washington Road.

Hawes's home had been set on fire when police found him according to WRDW.

His wife was not among those killed but the victims included some of her family members.

They have been identified as Roosevelt Burns, 75, Rheba Mae Dent, 85, Kelia Clark, 31, Lizzy Williams, 59 and Shelly Williams, 62.

Relatives told Fox 54 that Dent, Burns and Clark were part of his wife's family.