WOODBINE, Ga. – Two people were shot -- one fatally -- while Camden County deputies were serving a search warrant before dawn Tuesday morning on U.S. 17 near Woodbine, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The deputy-involved shooting occurred at approximately 4:51 a.m. No deputies were injured.
A news release from the GBI issued just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday stated that law enforcement knocked and announced themselves before making entry into the residence. The GBI said that upon entry, there was an exchange of gunfire between the occupants of the home and law enforcement.
According to the GBI, the occupants of the home were identified as 37-year-old Latoya James, who was shot and died at the scene, and 46-year-old VarShaun Brown, who was injured and hospitalized at UF Health in Jacksonville..
The family of the man and woman who were shot News4Jax they learned about James’ death from Brown, but they said they have not been given any official information about the shootings and they are not allowed to get to the shooting scene. They said they were cousins and that they were shot in Brown’s home.
The family also said James was the mother of a young child.
“They won’t tell me anything but my baby is still laying down there on the floor,” said Betty James, mother of the woman killed.
“We don’t want their side, we want the truth,” said Carolyn Woods, her aunt.
Pastor Devon Knight is Brown’s cousin. He said despite the preliminary report that he still has questions.
“I find that very hard to believe, especially with James,” Knight said.
The GBI said it will conduct an independent investigation. When completed, it will be turned over to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
U.S. 17 remained blocked to traffic most of the day as detectives and GBI agents investigated.