Charlotte man pulls gun that went off at SC liquor store during theft, sheriff says
A Charlotte man pulled a gun that went off during a scuffle after stealing two cases of high-end tequila from a South Carolina liquor store Saturday, Lancaster County officials said.
Deputies arrested Datarius Marques Vaughn-McHam, 27, on charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile and South Carolina jail records.
Employees confronted Vaughn-McHam around 3 p.m as he tried to walk out of Stateline Elite in Indian Land with the liquor, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The area is off U.S. 521, also known as Charlotte Highway, just south of Ballantyne.
One employee restrained Vaughn-McHam while another blocked the exit, deputies said. Vaughn-McHam pulled a pistol from his pocket before he and the employees struggled over the gun, officials said. Two shots were fired but no one was hit, according to deputies.
An employee was bitten during the fracas before deputies arrived, Faile said.
Sheriff’s office spokesman Doug Barfield said the two cases of Patron tequila involved are valued at $1,200.
Vaughn-McHam was wanted by law enforcement in North Carolina, according to Faile and Barfield. The weapon recovered at the scene had been reported lost to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on New Year’s Eve, the sheriff’s office said in the statement.
Although no one was hurt by gunfire, Faile urged the public not to confront property crime suspects.
“I caution folks that what begins as a property crime like this can quickly turn into a life-or-death situation when you don’t know who you’re dealing with or what he might have on him,” Faile said. “The better course is to get a good description or photos of the suspect and his car with a tag number and pass that information on to the police.”
A Lancaster County judge denied bail to Vaughn-McHam and he remains jailed on the charges and a detainer from North Carolina, according to the sheriff.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM.
