Five charged in deadly Hartwell bar shooting nearly four years later

HARTWELL, Ga. — Five people face murder charges nearly four years after a shooting at Jack’s Bar and Grill in Hartwell killed two men and injured several others.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the charges Sept. 1 in connection with the Sept. 5, 2022, shooting that killed 39-year-old Roberius Thornton of Hartwell and 24-year-old Joseph Johnson of Bowman.

Those charged are Jo’Beau Almond, 33, and Trenton Shoemaker, 24, both of Hartwell; Ke’Ardrick Tucker, 31, of Bowman; Kyairre Thomas, 25, of Canon; and Contorious White, 21, of Anderson, South Carolina. Each faces two counts of felony murder, 11 counts of aggravated assault and 11 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Almond also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Shoemaker was arrested Aug. 21 and booked into the Hart County Jail. Tucker and Almond were arrested Sept. 1 and booked into the same jail. Thomas is being held in the Stephens County Jail, and White is in custody in South Carolina, both on unrelated charges, according to the GBI.

The agency did not release additional details about what led to the shooting or the evidence behind the charges.

Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation and arrests, including the sheriff’s offices in Anderson, Barrow, Elbert, Hart, Jackson and Stephens counties; the Elberton and Hartwell police departments; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; and the Georgia State Patrol.

The GBI said the investigation is ongoing.