A Beech Island gas station was the scene of a pre-dawn shooting in March 2017. Deputies from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about 2:00 a.m. and found a man slumped in the driver’s seat of a car with several gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 21-year-old Karl M. Kelly Jr. of Augusta, Georgia. He was taken to Augusta Medical University Center but died later that morning.

A witness at the scene reported hearing several gunshots. Law enforcement opened a homicide investigation, but no arrests were reported soon after the shooting, and as of late 2025 there have been no public reports of arrests or identified suspects. The shooting left the community and Kelly’s family seeking answers.

If anyone has information about Karl Kelly’s death or the events at the Beech Island gas station that night, please come forward.