College Professor Accused Of Murdering 18-Year-Old Freshman

A now-former college professor at the University of West Georgia has been charged with murdering an 18-year-old freshman. Authorities said that Richard Sigman, 47, fired into a car at a parking deck early Saturday (July 30) morning after getting into an argument with another man at a pizzeria.

Police said that Sigman threatened to shoot the man during the argument, and he contacted security, who asked Sigman to leave. As Sigman left, he went to the parking garage and started firing into cars.

The bullets struck Anna Jones, and the driver of the vehicle rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Officials did not say if Sigman was targeting anybody when he opened fire, and it is unclear if he knew Jones.

Sigman was taken into custody and charged with three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and one count of murder.

After Sigman was arrested, the University of West Georgia moved to terminate him.

“On behalf of the university, we wish to convey our deepest condolences to Anna’s family and many friends. We know this news is difficult to process and affects many members of our university community. We ask that you keep Anna’s family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy in your thoughts during this tremendously difficult time,” University of West Georgia President Dr. Brendan Kelly said in the statement.