GBI, Thomas Co. Sheriff’s Office investigates Whataburger parking lot shooting incident in Thomasville

THOMASVILLE, Ga. – On Thursday, February 29, 2024, about 6:00 a.m., the GBI was requested to investigate a shooting that took place in the Whataburger parking lot in Thomasville, Georgia around 4:25 a.m. The GBI was requested due to the fact that one of the individuals involved was identified as Lucas Williams, who was affiliated with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team as a medic. Williams is not a certified peace officer and served as a SWAT medic in a support capacity of the team. He was not involved with any SWAT operations at the time this incident took place.

Williams was at the Whataburger waiting on another person when he had some type of disagreement with a male in the drive thru line in another vehicle. Williams exited his vehicle with a pistol and walked towards the driver of the car who was at the drive thru window waiting for his food. The male in the car exited with a rifle and went to the rear of the parking lot away from Williams where he ran to a neighboring business and then crossed Highway 19. As the male was crossing Highway 19, it is alleged that Williams fired his pistol multiple times at the male. The male never fired his rifle at Williams during the incident. Nobody was hit by the gunfire, however one of the pistol rounds struck a gas pump at the Raceway gas station which was recovered across Highway 19 from the Whataburger.

Lucas Williams, age 38, of a Thomasville address, has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault and was booked into the Thomas County Jail on those charges. When complete, the case file will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office in Thomasville for their review.

This case is active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the GBI regional investigative office in Thomasville at 229-225-4090. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

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