Caught on video: Shooting victim was target of 3 Rock Hill teens, police say
Three Rock Hill teens targeted a man after a dispute, then one of the teens shot that man in an attack that was caught on video, police said in court Monday.
The Dec. 18 shooting was captured on surveillance video at an apartment complex on Ridgerock Lane, said Det. Eric Olson of the Rock Hill Police Department.
“All three were at the apartment complex looking for the victim,” Olson told York County Family Court Judge David Guyton Monday during a detention hearing.
Olson said in court one suspect fired the gun and the other two suspects assisted in the hunt for the victim.
The teens, each 16 years old, are charged as juveniles with attempted murder and conspiracy.
The Herald is not naming the suspects because of their ages.
All three have been held in custody at a S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice jail since their arrest about an hour after the shooting on Dec. 18, testimony showed. The court hearing Monday was to determine if any of the suspects would be released pending trial.
The accused shooter waived an attempt at release, testimony showed. Lawyers for the two other suspects asked for release that would include electronic monitoring and house arrest.
Sixteenth Circuit Assistant Solicitor Whitney Payne said in court Monday the suspects committed a violent act and should be kept in juvenile detention pending the resolution of the case. The victim, 42, remains hospitalized with internal injuries, Payne said.
“He (the victim) is still in pretty bad shape,” Payne said.
Juvenile justice officials also recommended to the judge that the suspects remain incarcerated pending trial.
Guyton denied the request to release the suspects.
‘There is a clear danger to the community,” Guyton said.
Neighbors told investigators three suspects were knocking on doors looking for the victim, Olson said. The suspects were seeking the victim because of an argument, which happened Dec. 4, between the victim and the brother of one of the suspects, Olson said.
A neighbor told police one of the suspects said before the shooting: “You better lock your doors, because when we find him, we’re gonna put it on him,” Olson said in court.
Guyton said the suspects plotted the crime, which would have the potential for much stiffer penalties if the juveniles were older and had been charged as adults.
“This didn’t just happen in one or two minutes,” Guyton said. “If you faced these charges as an adult, you’d be looking at spending some serious time.”
Juveniles in South Carolina can be held in custody up to age 21 if convicted of violent crimes, state law shows. Attempted murder and conspiracy in adult court carry up to 30 years for each conviction, state law shows.
No trial date has been set.
