GBI Investigates Shooting in Claxton, GA

CORRECTION - February 14, 2026:

The release reporting the death of Jonathan O’Neil Gaines was inaccurate.

We acknowledge the seriousness of this mistake and accept full responsibility. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Gaines and his family.

The GBI investigation into the shooting remains active and ongoing.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

Claxton, GA (February 13, 2026) - At the request of the Claxton Police Department, GBI agents are investigating a shooting that resulted in the death of Jonathan O’Neil Gaines, age 48, of Claxton, Georgia.

On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at about 10:55 p.m., law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call advising shots had been fired near Terrell Street, Claxton, GA. When officers arrived, they found Gaines inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Gaines was taken to the hospital and was placed on life support.

Another person was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting and sought treatment at a nearby hospital. That person was treated and released.

Gaines died from his injuries on Friday, February 13, 2026.

Gaines’ body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Pooler, Georgia, for an autopsy.

This case is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Claxton Police Department at 912-739-3111 or the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Statesboro at 912-871-1121. 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.