OGLETHORPE, Ga. — Jerry Haugabook has lived in Oglethorpe his whole life.
"This is a small city, everybody knows each other, we all get along," Haugabook said, which is why the death of 19-year-old Hashim Haugabook, surprised him.
Jerry says the town is so small, that he and the victim even share the same last name.
He says even though he did not know the victim personally, it still hit home.
"I am so hurt about this. This is very tragic," Haugabook said.
On Thursday night, Oglethorpe police and first responders were called to a single-car accident on the 400 block of Kaigler Street.
Inside the car, they found Hashim Haugabook's body.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, he was already killed before the accident occurred.
"When violence comes, if you were up in Macon or Warner Robins, it's totally different because you see the bracket and things happen, but being from the rural county of Oglethorpe? You don't find things happening like gun violence," Haugabook said.
"It's a tragedy when things do happen in places like this, but very seldom does it ever happen here," Danny Harris said.
Danny Harris was also born and raised in Oglethorpe.
Harris says it's always been a nice place to live because everyone is like family.
"Every now and then, we have something like this happen. It's just the way it is, I guess, but it's sad," Harris said.
"The situation that happened last night was very heartbreaking. It's very sad on each parts. I just pray for healing," Haugabook said.
Jerry says people in Oglethorpe will get through this together.
"We're a strong community. We pray for each other, we get ourselves together, and we push forth. We just have to be stronger and better with things that are going on." he said.
The Georgia Bureau Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy on Hashim Haugabook's death.
If you have any information about this case, you can call the GBI's Americus Office at (229) 931-2439.