NORTH AUGUSTA --- A North Augusta man was arrested in the fatal shooting of his brother Friday.
North Augusta Department of Public Safety charged Antonio Middleton, 20, of the 400 block of Bradleyville Road, with involuntary manslaughter after his brother Lee Andrew Middleton Jr., 21, was shot and killed at their housing complex, public safety Lt. Tim Pearson said in a news release.
Antonio Middleton is being held at the Aiken County Detention Center.
Lt. Pearson said he could not go into detail about why Mr. Middleton shot his brother, but he did say the shooting didn't happen out of "malice or intent."
"Mr. Middleton did have the gun in his hand, and it discharged," he said. "He has to take responsibility for that."
Both men lived in building B of Riverview Manor Apartments, Lt. Pearson said. The victim was visiting a friend in building D about 10 a.m. when he was shot once in the upper chest, Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said. His body was found at the first-floor landing, and he died, Mr. Carlton said.
The .38-caliber used in the shooting has been obtained as evidence, Lt. Pearson said. Several incidents have been reported at Riverview in the past, Lt. Pearson said. Drugs, domestic violence and other incidents have been reported at the housing complex.
"There is a criminal element there, but these are not all bad people," he said. "These people want to have a quality of life without the riff-raff. Unfortunately, they have had to deal with the issues of crime."
Several residents and onlookers Friday complained that the department of public safety had not been monitoring the area, Lt. Pearson said. He said his deputies ride through the complex daily.
"There was some frustration coming out of folks, but we have been doing our part," he said. "We're doing all we can to deter that criminal element."
The killing marks the first in 2009 for North Augusta, Lt. Pearson said. An autopsy will be conducted in Newberry today.
Reach Stephanie Toone at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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They're officers, not deputies
North Augusta is great if you need a ticket for changing lanes or 3mph over the limit but when it comes to crime and crime prevention I do believe they are the laughing stock of law enforcement!
The first couple of posts are pathetic. This story is about the tragic, probably accidental, shooting of a brother. The photo shows a more personal image of a distraught mother facing a child she loves who just killed another child she loves. Who gives a **** about deputy vs officer or how NAPD operates.
Hmm....laughingstock, huh? The first murder in 2009 is in October...and it's solved. Yep...I'm laughing. Richmond County and the Augusta area likes to dispense with those formalities by January 1st or so. I am proud to live in North Augusta and thankful, too....would rather live around evil speeders than murderers any day.
Looks like an accident. The picture shows mother and other son who shot his brother. You can see the sadness and horror. Look at the picture, criminals don't cry like that! It was a stupid, stupid but unfortunately fatal accident. Too sad for the whole family.
The only way NAPD can catch a criminal is if they are speeding. They never solved the murders at the Huffle House, never even got close. Criminals, as long as you drive SLOW you will be fine.
Statistics show police departments that focus on a high number of traffic stops have decreased crime levels. They know what they are doing. As for the Huddle House incident, SLED is in on that investigation too. Dumb comments show dumb individuals.
Also, a majority of violent crimes are solved by the public, so how about helping instead of complaining.
It's time to END public housing NOW! Far too many tax dollars of HARD WORKING Americans have been thrown away so CRIMINALS can have a free place to "live". MY plan:::::GIVE the units to anybody who has lived there for five years or more. It's now THEIRS. THEY will have to pay for repairs and maintenance. They can sell the unit if they want or give it away, but taxpayers should no longer be responsible for them. I believe that if people OWNED something they might take more pride in it. If they thought they were going to lose it for not making payments or paying taxes they might just GET A JOB to pay for it. It's a win-win situation for everyone. They get some self respect and WE get out from under the huge financial burden of supporting so many NON PRODUCERS.
Hunbleeopinion we can all appreciate this. But this has nothing to do with the tragic that occured. Stop focusing on things that you cannot change. Send that to the senate. But This is horrible. Sad day for the family and my prayers go out to them. This could happen in any neighborhood. Its not public housing, this problem is seen all across America. There are people in all communities suffering due to the econmy. So its easier said then done. Everyone may not have money to live in a awesome place, but that still do not mean that they deserve to be homeless. This PUBLIC HOUSING IS implemented to help with people who need housing and not able to afford it due to different reasons. There may be some that need to get out and work; I agree. I just dont understand these things. WE HAVE TO PAY TAXES. WE CAN STOP THAT. So who cares what area they in, its about the fact of what has occured. Once again my prayers go out!
TJ, RN
Humbleopinion, poor people can't afford repairs and maintenance on a housing unit. Because they are POOR.
The gun discharged due to negligence of the person holding it. Now he will have to pay the price for his negligence.
what he did to his brother should happen to him
Can anyone tell me how people like tazkarz can read this tragic news article and, then, express such a cruel and retributive opinion. Whatever negligence may have occurred under whatever circumstances, this family needs the community's prayers.
Tazkarz be careful that you aren't pronouncing your statement on yourself. When you are pointing a finger at someone, four are pointing back at you! That was a terrible thing to write.
Lt. Pearson should do a little fact checking, as there was another murder earlier in the year just in the same area...Exzradrian Holloway was the 1st murder.
That mother looks like she is fixing to slap the life out of the killer. She has him by the neck with her right hand and is drawing back with her left.
This is what happens when you have a gun. No gun=no one being shot.
noone was arrested and charged with anything when clay scelton was killed by accident in a noted family home
Shamrock, if the man can afford a handgun, mayhaps he could afford to buy/rent/lease his own **ing house/apartment? I'm tired of people of every color, race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, transgender, living off of the work that I do each day. that is all.
this is very sad for this family. This family needs our good thoughts and prayers.
na police department is very good however something appears to be changing with na demographics if you look at the number of times na is staying in the press for crime. the crimes get solved but it is still happening.
My thoughts and prayers are with this family right now. I also feel for the family of Mr Holloway. Frankj.... the city limits in north augusta are very unusual. I do believe where Mr Holloway was murdered was considered county... not city limits. That being said ... I hope these families will find peace. It's been a number of years since my cousin was murdered in Barnwell. It's a very tough thing to move past and Sept. is always a rough month for my family. God bless.
Just a few observations. Number one two brothers and a mother living in public housing, why aren't any of them working and paying their on rent? The brothers are 20 and 21 so I assume they can work. Number two why did they have a pistol? Did the mother who lives in the same house not know they had a gun? What did she think was going to eventually happen to a son who plays around with guns and lives in a drug infested housing complex? Number three, these folks that live there have the audacity to live in a crime ridden area and complain to police. When was the last time one of them called the police to report drug trafficing or punks raising cain? Yes it is a shame the brother killed his brother, and he will live with it for years and unless he has a felony record he shouldn't be tried for an accident that again will haunt him for life.
USSOCOM - If writing traffic tickets slows down crime, North Augusta is the safest place on the planet. Bottom line is they didnt respond to the Huddle House murders even tho it was a multiple site crime.
And I have *first hand* knowledge of Chief Wetherington, now retired, denying that there was a crime problem in NA, and the next night the home across the street from my family was shot up with an automatic weapon as predicted. And my family resides in a very nice section of town.
I will help where I can, and no, most crimes are not solved by the citizens, you will need to provide facts to back up your words. Clues and leads perhaps, but crimes are solved by true police officers and detectives, not ticket writing fire fighters.
humbleopinion: Quit grousing about public housing; it's there for a purpose. Criminal acts are committed just as often in the more "elite" housing areas, so what's your beef? The difference is that one pays the mortgage or rent and the other is subsidized. However, some goons in the "elite" housing areas are there because they "earn" their money by drug dealing--you just don't know about it until it hits the papers. Good, honest, law-abiding people live in both areas and you do not need to castigate individuals for being poor. Obviously, you have not yet learned that criminality knows no boundaries and is truly color-blind. So what, exactly, are YOU doing to help prevent criminal behaviors?
To nofrills:Don't break the law and you won't have to worry. Besides this has nothing to so with the article. Appreciate your helping out with NA expenses.
our prayers goes out to the family u done lost two children.i could just only imagine what you going through; so me and my family have u in ours prayers.