Sheldon Whorely

Name:
Whorely, Sheldon

Date of Booking:
08/23/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On 08/23/2026 at approximately 0048 hours, while on patrol on St Simons Island, I received a call regarding shots fired in the Pier Village area. Dispatch and other units advised that an individual had fired shots from the passenger seat of a vehicle described as a white Dodge Charger, which was last seen traveling in a particular direction from the village area. I was advised that shell casings had been recovered at the original scene.

While driving in the direction the suspect vehicle was reportedly traveling, I located a white Dodge Charger bearing tag [REDACTED] in the general area where the suspect vehicle was last seen. Based on the vehicle description, direction of travel, and proximity to the reported incident location, I conducted a traffic stop. I instructed the driver to turn the vehicle off and show me his hands.

Upon making contact, I observed that the passenger had a badly injured face and was bleeding from his head. The driver stated he was attempting to transport the passenger to the hospital. I advised the driver to stand by and requested EMS respond to my location to evaluate the passenger.

The passenger identified himself as Sheldon Worley. I asked the passenger where he had been assaulted, and he stated he could not tell me and repeatedly requested that the driver be left alone, stating the driver had helped him. When asked if he had been shooting a gun, the passenger stated, “No.” The passenger declined to provide further details about where he was assaulted.

I asked the passenger to step out of the vehicle and inquired whether he had anything on his person I should know about. He advised he had a firearm in a bag. I directed him to keep his hands where I could see them and, with his permission, I removed the Nike bag that had blood on it that the firearm was in, retrieved, secured the firearm, and inspected it. Upon inspecting the weapon, I noticed the firearm had blood spots on it, with 5 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber. The firearm was a Taurus 9mm (Serial number ACJ226754).

I made contact with the driver, who identified himself as Jonathan Gellweiler (DOB: [REDACTED BY AGENCY] 2003). The driver advised he had a warrant and was driving without a license, stating he had been driving only because he received a call and the licensed driver was asleep, and because he observed his friend in bad condition. The driver stated the vehicle was not his and belonged to his friend, with whom he stated he had recently begun living, approximately a week prior.

The driver provided the following account of the incident. He stated that at approximately 0030, he and the passenger were down in the village area with other unknown individuals, and they were conversing. The driver stated he walked away to speak with a female. He stated that while he was away, his friend Whorley and two or three individuals wearing ski masks began arguing, and the two masked individuals began assaulting his friend. The driver stated he and his friend attempted to leave and got back to the vehicle. He stated the masked individuals followed and continued striking the passenger through the vehicle window while the passenger was seated inside.

The driver stated that as they drove away, he looked in the rearview mirror and observed one of the individuals pull out what appeared to be an AR-style pistol, which he believed was aimed in their general direction. The driver stated that at that point his friend (the passenger) fired his own weapon. In a subsequent statement, the driver indicated the passenger fired into the air to scare the individuals rather than directly at them.

Responding units advised that aluminum shell casings had been recovered at the original scene in the village, and the firearm recovered from the passenger utilized aluminum casings. I observed a significant amount of blood inside the vehicle.

Dispatch advised that the driver was wanted out of the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear in reference to a marijuana possession charge. Dispatch confirmed the driver’s license had not returned as valid and the driving status query returned slow. The vehicle tag [REDACTED] returned to a 2022 Dodge Charger, white in color, registered to [REDACTED] out of Augusta, Georgia, with valid registration and insurance. The Vehicle was recovered by the county wrecker (J&M Towing) and transported to Glynn County Headquarters, where it will be secured in the impound for further investigation. Sgt Hall #210 stood by the vehicle during this process.

It was determined that both the driver and passenger would be transported to headquarters/CID for interviews. CID and additional personnel responded to the scene. The vehicle was held on scene for processing, and photographs were to be taken of the blood evidence and the recovered firearm. The passenger was placed in the rear of Ofc McKendree #178’s vehicle and transported to Glynn County Police Department HQ.

I transported the driver, uncuffed, to the end of the FJ Torris Causeway, where Ofc Pritchett #146 took him into custody and transported him to Headquarters for further questioning. The Nike bag and all its contents, including the firearm, were documented on a Glynn County Evidence form and transported to Headquarters as well by Ofc. Pritchett as well.

[End of Narrative]