GBI Investigates Aggravated Assault and Officer Involved Shooting

Laurens & Wheeler Counties, GA (June 12, 2025) - At the request of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating an officer involved shooting in Wheeler County, GA. No one was injured in this incident. 

The preliminary information indicates on June 12, 2025, at about 11:15 a.m., a Laurens County Sheriff’s Office deputy, along with another deputy in the patrol car, attempted to stop a Silver Equinox on 441 in Laurens County, GA. Earlier, they were alerted that a Silver Equinox that was taken in a carjacking in Jacksonville, FL, was in the area. 

The Laurens County deputy attempted to perform a PIT maneuver on the Equinox, but the driver, later identified as Brianna Michelle Long, age 27, of Jacksonville, FL, was able to gain back control and continue to flee. While still on 441 in Laurens County, a passenger in the Equinox, later identified as Steven Allen Shinholster II, age 30, of Orange Park, FL,fired a gun toward the deputies. The chase continued into Wheeler County and Shinholster continued to fire his gun at deputies. Long drove the Equinox through a stop sign at the intersection of 441 and 280 in Wheeler County and crashed in a field across the road from the intersection. After the crash, Shinholster and Long got out of the Equinox and started running into the woods. Shinholster was armed with a rifle. When Laurens County deputies approached the woods, Shinholster began shooting at the deputies again. A Laurens County deputy returned fire, but Long and Shinholster were not hit. During the standoff, a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper responding to assist was also shot at. The suspect hit the trooper's patrol car while the trooper was inside. The trooper was not injured.

The standoff lasted for several hours. Just after 3:00 p.m., GSP SWAT arrested Long and Shinholster. 

Shinholster and Long were booked into the Laurens County Detention Center.

The GBI is investigating the aggravated assaults on law enforcement officers and the officer-involved shooting that occurred during the incident.

Shinholster and Long will face multiple counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer in both Laurens and Wheeler counties.

The GBI will continue its independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Dublin Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office and the Oconee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for prosecution and review. 

INITIAL STATEMENT: 

June 12, 2025 – 2:46 p.m.
The GBI is conducting an officer involved shooting investigation at the request of the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office.  The investigation is active and ongoing.  Additional updates will follow.