Teens accused of plotting Rock Hill, SC, man’s death over use of Instagram
Four South Carolina teenagers plotted the shooting death of a Rock Hill man earlier this month because they were upset over discipline related to their use of Instagram, police testified in court Tuesday.
Instagram is a social media app.
The Herald is not naming the four suspects because of their ages and the judge’s order not to identify them. The Herald also is not describing the relationship between the victim and suspects.
Rock Hill Police Department Detective Eric Olson described the Nov. 14 shooting death of Larry Ingram Jr., 38, as “an execution” during a detention hearing Tuesday in York County Family Court.
Ingram had taken away laptop computers used by the teenagers earlier in the day on Nov. 14. There was a dispute over the way they were using Instagram, Olson testified.
The suspects set up a plot to kill Ingram because they were unhappy with the discipline, Olson testified.
Ingram was lured into a hallway at his apartment by one of the juveniles who kicked a door, and another suspect who threw an object at a door, Olson testified. The noises brought Ingram out of his bedroom to investigate, Olson testified.
“He was then shot in the back,” Olson testified.
Ingram then was shot again while on the ground, Olson testified.
Murder, conspiracy charges
The four teenagers -- three are 14 and one is 15 -- then fled the scene and lied to police when they were found nearby, Olson testified. Some of the suspects later made statements about the crime to police, Olson testified.
Each of the four suspects is charged with murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
The shooting death is the third in 2022 in York County where juveniles have been charged with murder. Earlier in 2022, prosecutors in York County announced they were seeking a waiver to try two juveniles as adults for their alleged roles in shooting deaths. One of the suspects was 14 in a York woman’s shooting death. The other was 16 in the case of a triple homicide of three teens in Rock Hill.
Suspect says he was coerced
One suspect at Tuesday’s hearing claimed he was coerced by the others, according to court statements from Creighton Hayes, a defense lawyer for that suspect.
But 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said in court there is no evidence that suspect was coerced.
“He immediately propelled himself into the major leagues of crime,” prosecutor Brackett said of the juvenile’s alleged involvement.
Another defense lawyer for one of the teenagers, Matthew Niemiec, said in court that just because his client was there doesn’t mean he plotted a killing or helped carry it out.
The ages of the suspects are part of the case because the plot was hatched and executed by teenager, Brackett said.
“Anybody involved is guilty whether they pulled the trigger or not,” Brackett said in court.
Judge says there’s probable cause to go forward
Three of the suspects made their first court appearance Tuesday for detention hearings. All four were arrested hours after the incident on Nov. 14. A fourth suspect has yet to appear in court.
All four have been in the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice custody since the arrests.
Visiting Family Court Judge Kimaka Nichols-Graham, who presided over the hearings, ruled prosecutors had shown probable cause to continue with the cases against three of the defendants.
A hearing against the fourth suspect remains pending.
Nichols-Graham also ordered all three suspects to remain in detention.
Prosecutors seeks to move suspects to adult court
Prosecutors have filed documents with the court seeking to have the three juveniles tried as adults.
South Carolina prosecutors have the authority to seek adult trials and punishments in murder cases. Prosecutors would have to seek a ruling from a Family Court judge. In adult court, the potential punishment could be more severe.
A conviction for any crime in Family Court ends at age 21. If a person younger than 17 is tried as an adult, potential consequences could be as severe as 30 years in prison for a murder conviction.
Where did they get the gun?
The weapon allegedly involved in the shooting was a Glock handgun, Olson testified. One of the suspects had improperly taken the gun from an adult relative, Olsen testified.
The gun was recovered by police after the crime wrapped in clothing and hidden in nearby woods, Olson testified.
Victim’s sister says suspects need to be punished equally
A sister of the victim said in court Tuesday that all four suspects should face equal justice for their roles in the crime.
“All should be punished to the full extent of the law,” the sister said.
What happens now?
The four suspects remain in custody.
One of the four who did not appear Tuesday has to have a court detention hearing in coming days, but no date has been set.
No trial dates are set.
This story was originally published November 29, 2022 at 5:34 PM.
