Authorities identified the men killed in Vienna as Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23.
VIENNA, Ga. — Two men were killed and 35 other people were injured when gunfire erupted early Sunday at a crowded neighborhood block party during homecoming weekend in Vienna, prompting a large investigation by local authorities and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The shooting began about 1:25 a.m. Oct. 4 while Dooly County sheriff’s deputies were already patrolling the gathering, according to the GBI. Investigators said shots were fired from the 900 block of Pine Street, where deputies found multiple injured people. Two victims were later found in the 600 block of Pine Street and pronounced dead at the scene. The GBI said the conditions of the 35 injured people ranged from stable to critical.
The agency identified the men who died as Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. Authorities had initially withheld their identities while relatives were notified. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to conduct autopsies as investigators worked to determine how the shooting unfolded and who was responsible.
More than 1,000 people were estimated to have gathered in the area for the block party, which coincided with Dooly County High School’s homecoming weekend. Authorities and school officials said the gathering was not an official school-sponsored event. Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy said deputies were monitoring the unusually large crowd before gunfire broke out.
Witnesses and authorities described a chaotic scene as people fled the area. Peavy told news organizations that more than 50 shots were heard and that gunfire appeared to have occurred in more than one location. Officials said some people were hurt while trying to escape, including people struck by vehicles. The GBI later said a majority of the 35 injured victims had suffered gunshot wounds.
The wounded were taken to several regional hospitals. Crisp Regional Hospital in nearby Cordele activated its trauma and emergency response procedures after patients began arriving shortly after 2 a.m. Hospital officials said physicians, nurses, surgical teams and other staff were called in to handle the sudden influx. Some patients required emergency surgery, while others were transferred to facilities capable of providing a higher level of care.
The shooting shook Vienna, a small south Georgia city where the size of the homecoming gathering had approached a substantial share of the community’s population. Residents gathered Sunday for a prayer vigil as investigators remained at work. Dooly County school officials said crisis support would be available and that additional safety measures would be in place when students returned to school.
No arrests had been announced Sunday night, and investigators had not publicly identified a suspect or disclosed a motive. Authorities also had not said whether the gunfire involved one shooter or multiple people. The GBI was assisting the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office and said the investigation remained active and ongoing.
Once investigators complete their work, the GBI said the case file will be turned over to the Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review and possible prosecution. Authorities continued seeking information from witnesses as they worked to reconstruct the sequence of gunfire and determine responsibility for one of the region’s largest recent shooting scenes.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.