An inmate at Smith State Prison is dead after shooting a food service employee, according to state officials.

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) said that at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 16, 2024, inmate Jaydrekus Hart was working in the kitchen at Smith State Prison when he shot and killed Aramark food service employee, Aureon Shavea Grace, of Statesboro.

Hart then turned the gun on himself, according to the GDC. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Hart was serving 20 years for voluntary manslaughter out of Carroll County, with a maximum release date of June 2043.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a personal relationship existed between the 24-year-old Aramark employee of Statesboro and offender Hart. A suicide note was also discovered that appears to have been left by offender Hart. This was an isolated incident and the investigation remains open and active, according to GDC officials.

The weapon is in GDC custody at this time, and a complete and thorough investigation of what led up to this tragic incident will be carried out, officials said.

GDC agents are helping to provide staffing support to the facility.{