‘We need to pray for our city’ | Local business owners shaken by Houston County’s 1st shooting of 2026

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Business owners along a bustling Warner Robins corridor are voicing alarm after Houston County’s first shooting of 2026 unfolded Sunday evening at a McDonald’s drive-thru on Watson Boulevard, one of the city’s busiest roads.

The incident has sparked concern among neighbors who frequent the area for coffee, shopping and daily errands.

Jerry Bradley, owner of Discount Costumes and Comics just down the road from the fast-food restaurant, called the random violence deeply troubling.

“Someone doing it just to be doing it, to hurt someone else, that’s an issue,” Bradley said. “That’s very close to where my store is back in this plaza. Yeah I go there, you know, way too often to get coffee.”

Local workers describe the road as a generally safe area despite minor issues like occasional theft and a growing homeless presence.

Cathy Alvord, who works at Gottwals Books one street over, echoed that sentiment but noted a troubling rise in crime over the years.

“I moved here in 1995 and back then we thought of all the crime being in Macon and over the years it has slowly trickled down here,” Alvord said. “It’s scary that that kind of gun crime is here in Warner Robins for the long time seems like we didn’t have it.”

Alvord attributed the shift to population growth, which she believes brings more opportunities for trouble.

“Wherever you have humans you have sin and you’re gonna have crime and I think we need to pray for our city,” Alvord said.

Warner Robins police responded to the McDonald’s at 6:03 p.m. Sunday to reports of shots fired — where 40-year-old Dyketa Brown and 38-year-old James Brown suffered minor injuries from shattered glass after a man fired into their vehicle before fleeing. Police have not identified a suspect.

Residents with information are urged to call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME.