Family Camping Trip Turns Violent After Dad and Daughter are Brutally Attacked

A peaceful family camping trip in the Georgia mountains turned into a nightmare when a father and daughter were brutally attacked — and now, four people are sitting in jail while the victims recover from their injuries.

The terrifying incident took place on July 26 at Low Gap Campground in Helen, a quiet mountain town nestled near the Chattahoochee River. According to the White County Sheriff’s Office, Krista Wilson, 44, Joshua Wilson, 42, Joshua Miller, 32, and Charles Miller, 39, have all been charged with aggravated assault and battery.

Deputies say the violence started when Krista Wilson allegedly assaulted 20-year-old Gracee Waldon. In self-defense, Gracee stabbed Wilson, sparking a violent group attack that left her father, 58-year-old Bruce Waldon, in critical condition. Witnesses say Bruce was blindsided with a beer bottle to the head, then beaten while unconscious on the ground.

Both victims were rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Gracee was initially listed in serious condition, while Bruce was placed in intensive care. His injuries were severe — a deep cut from his ear to the back of his neck that required 40 stitches, and a brain bleed that has kept him hospitalized indefinitely.

“This is just an act of evil and senselessness,” Bruce’s other daughter, Brittanee Hollingsworth, told local outlet WRDW. “My dad is having nightmares and wakes up screaming. He’s terrified they’ll come back for the rest of us.”

According to Brittanee, the family had been enjoying a quiet moment at their campsite before the attack. “My dad was eating peanut brittle and fixing his fishing pole. My sister was eating boiled peanuts. Then out of nowhere, he was attacked with a beer bottle and passed out on the ground.”

The sheriff’s office says the four suspects, all from Lula, Georgia, assaulted the Waldons, who are from Waco. Authorities confirm Gracee acted in self-defense during the attack, and all four suspects have since been arrested.

While Gracee is recovering, Bruce’s condition remains serious, and the family has launched a GoFundMe to help with mounting medical expenses, food, and lodging as they stay near the hospital.

“We don’t know when he’ll be released,” Brittanee wrote on the fundraising page. “If you feel led to donate, please do. And above all, pray for my dad. He would give the shirt off his back without having another to put on.”

The family is now urging officials to ban alcohol at the campground, believing it may have played a role in the attack. They also believe others may have been involved and are calling for further investigation.

“I don’t understand how someone could do this to a dad who was just spending time with his daughter,” Brittanee said.

The White County Sheriff’s Office says the case is still under active investigation.