A man shot and killed a 24-year-old woman who was working in a prison kitchen in Georgia. He then took his own life. The incident happened at Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia early on a Sunday.
The woman who was killed was a food service worker named Aureon Shavea Grace. She was shot by an inmate named Jaydrekus Hart.
The Georgia Department of Corrections is investigating the incident. They have the weapon used in custody and will conduct a thorough investigation.
Hart was serving a 20-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County, with a maximum release date of June 2043.
It’s unclear how Hart got the weapon. The prison spokesperson said more details would be provided later.
Aramark, the company Grace worked for, expressed sorrow over her death and is helping with the investigation.
Friends and family remembered Grace as kind-hearted and loving. They expressed shock and sadness over her death.
This is the second fatal incident at Smith State Prison in less than a year. Last October, a correctional officer was killed by an inmate with a homemade weapon.
The Georgia Department of Corrections expressed condolences to Officer Robert Clark’s family and friends.