Social worker dies after shooting at Jasper VA clinic, GBI says
A Veterans Affairs employee has died after being shot Tuesday afternoon at a Pickens County VA clinic, officials said.
Nicholas “Nic” Crews, 34, worked as a social work case manager at the Jasper facility, the GBI said Thursday. The Marietta man was critically wounded when, officials said, Lawrence Charles Michels, 51, of Jasper, opened fire during a walk-in mental health consultation inside the facility.
Michels was killed outside the clinic during a shootout with police and an armed bystander, the GBI said.
“After shooting the employee, Michels exited the clinic and encountered police officers and an armed civilian,” the GBI said in a news release. “Michels was armed with a handgun and exchanged gunfire with the officers and the civilian.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Michaels was killed by officers or the bystander, and officials did not say how many times he was shot. It’s also unclear which branch of the U.S. military he may have served in.
No one else was injured during the midday shooting, which terrified shoppers inside an adjacent thrift store.
Local resident Christy Cantrell said she was shopping with her 4-year-old granddaughter when gunfire erupted just outside the Goodwill store. She and other shoppers were instructed to stay put as police descended on the North Georgia shopping center.
Crews was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where he died Wednesday, authorities said.
In a statement, VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the Pickens County clinic will remained closed the rest of the week as authorities investigate the deadly shooting.
“VA is rescheduling appointments as necessary and ensuring veterans and staff have access to counseling and chaplain services in the wake of this tragic event,” Kasperowicz said.
The GBI said autopsies are being conducted on both men and that the investigation is ongoing.
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