University of West Georgia lecturer shot and killed incoming coed: Report

Richard Sigman, a now former lecturer at the University of West Georgia, has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of incoming UWG freshman, Anne Jones, 18.

Shortly after midnight on Saturday, Sigman, 47, allegedly got into a heated argument with an unidentified man in a parking lot outside a pizzeria in Carrollton, Georgia. It is unclear what the argument was about, but the unidentified man quickly alerted security that Sigman had threatened to shoot him.

When security found Sigman and saw that he had a firearm on him, they ordered him to leave. Sigman then reportedly walked to a parking deck and began firing his gun into the parked car where Jones was sitting.

Friends raced Jones to the hospital, but she was quickly pronounced dead.

Though a lecturer by the name of "Rick Sigman" was recently listed on the website for the Department of Marketing in the Richards College of Business at UWG, the name and profile have since been removed. The university also released a statement about the shooting, expressing condolences about Jones's death and announcing that Sigman had already been terminated.

“The University of West Georgia has learned of the loss of one of its students, Anna Jones, who passed away following an off-campus incident earlier today,” said UWG president Dr. Brendan Kelly. “UWG has terminated the employment of Richard Sigman and continues to work with the city of Carrollton Police Department, which leads this ongoing investigation. 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.”

Sigman has been charged with murder, three counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of crime. He was denied bail at a hearing on Monday. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 2.

Jones had recently graduated from Mount Zion High School and was reportedly enrolled at UWG this fall. Police say she was not a student of Sigman's.