MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Jajuan Taylor, 33, Briuna Hartry, 31, and Hartry’s unborn child have been identified in a devastating tragedy that has left the Milledgeville community grieving after police say Taylor fatally shot Hartry and her unborn baby before taking his own life inside a North Richmond Street residence.
What began as a death investigation on Friday morning has now become one of the community’s most heartbreaking tragedies. At approximately 10:15 a.m. on June 19, officers with the Milledgeville Police Department responded to the 100 block of North Richmond Street after two people were found deceased inside a home. As detectives began processing the scene, authorities assured residents there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Hours later, Chief Dray Swicord released an update confirming the devastating details investigators had uncovered.
According to the preliminary investigation, Jajuan Taylor shot and killed Briuna Hartry and her unborn child before turning the gun on himself. Police said Hartry was approximately 33 weeks pregnant, meaning she was only weeks away from welcoming her baby into the world.
Investigators believe the tragedy unfolded sometime between midnight and 8:00 a.m., leaving an entire family forever changed before the sun had fully risen.
The loss has sent shockwaves throughout Milledgeville. Three lives were lost inside a home that should have been a place of comfort and safety—a mother whose future was filled with anticipation, an unborn child who never had the opportunity to take a first breath, and a man whose life also ended in the tragic chain of events.
As family members and friends struggle to comprehend the unimaginable, many are mourning not only the lives that were lost but also the countless milestones that will never be experienced. A nursery that may have been nearly ready, dreams of holding a newborn, family celebrations, and precious moments yet to come have all been stolen in an instant.
The bodies of the deceased will be transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Macon for autopsies as detectives continue working to understand every detail surrounding the incident.
Authorities have emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public and that no additional suspects are being sought. Even so, the investigation remains active as detectives continue collecting evidence and speaking with anyone who may have information about the events leading up to the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Lieutenant Phillip Vinson at 478-414-4090.
As Milledgeville mourns, the names Briuna Hartry and her unborn child will be remembered with profound sadness by those who loved them. Their lives, filled with hope and promise, were taken far too soon, leaving behind grieving family members, heartbroken friends, and a community forever marked by a tragedy that words can scarcely describe.
