William Anthony Mitchell, 20, has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Savannah’s downtown historic district that left 11 people injured. Mitchell was charged with four counts of aggravated assault and possessing a firearm while committing a crime. Investigators are still searching for multiple persons of interest in the case. The violence erupted following an argument between two women in Ellis Square, a popular nightlife area for tourists, resulting in multiple shooters opening fire.
Although no one was killed in the shootings, 10 people were struck by gunfire and another was injured by shattered glass from a car window. All the victims were treated at a local hospital and subsequently released. Mitchell was already facing felony charges for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute in an unrelated case prior to his arrest in connection with the Ellis Square shootings. His attorney, Greg Crawford, declined to comment on the case.
The incident in Ellis Square was one of five shootings that occurred in Savannah over the weekend, resulting in two deaths and a total of 14 injuries. This was the worst mass shooting in Georgia’s oldest city since June 2021 when a passing car fired into a crowd outside a Savannah apartment complex, resulting in one death and seven injuries. Mayor Van Johnson has attributed the rise in gun-related violence to the proliferation of guns and permissive Georgia laws allowing people to carry firearms without permits.
Mayor Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, has advocated for city ordinances aimed at promoting responsible gun ownership without infringing on Second Amendment rights. Savannah’s City Council passed a law in April making it illegal to leave guns in unlocked cars. However, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, has raised concerns about the ordinance conflicting with state laws that prohibit local governments from regulating gun ownership or how firearms are carried. Despite this, Mayor Johnson has insisted that the local gun law will remain in effect, and a lawsuit by a private citizen challenging the ordinance is pending in Chatham County Superior Court.
