‘Gang element’ involved in shooting inside SC Walmart, Lancaster police chief says
The shooting Tuesday inside a South Carolina Walmart is believed to involve two groups of people in gangs exchanging gunfire, Lancaster Police Chief Don Roper said Thursday at a news conference.
“We do have information that there is a gang element involved,” Roper told the media at the news conference held at the city’s police department and broadcast live on the police department’s Facebook page.
“We want to find out what happened and why it happened,” Roper said.
Two people were injured by gunfire in the shooting that happened around 2:30 p.m. inside one of the small city’s busiest stores. Police have arrested three people so far, Roper said. A fourth is under police guard at a hospital awaiting arrest, and two more have not been caught, Roper said.
Police would not say no other suspects were involved, but Roper said “the main players have been identified.”
No employees or other customers were hurt, officials said. Police did not say how many shots were fired or by how many people, saying the investigation remains ongoing.
Public shooting ‘Unacceptable’
Roper said the public shooting is “unacceptable” in the city of around 9,000 people located south of Charlotte and east of Rock Hill. A stern Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said Thursday those involved had “no regard for human life” by firing shots during the “reckless” incident.
“We need to make sure the full weight of the law comes down on these individuals who put people in danger,” Faile said.
Lancaster County’s top prosecutor, 6th Circuit Solicitor Randy Newman, said his office is involved in the cases against the people charged. Prosecutors plan to seek adult charges against one of the suspects who is a juvenile, Newman said.
“I will certainly do my part to make sure justice is served,” Newman said.
Suspects: 2 still sought out of 6
One of the two suspects who remains uncaught is a juvenile, Roper said.
The other person police are seeking is Antonio Jacquis Hayden, 18, of Lancaster, according to Roper and a written statement from the police department. Police said they have arrest warrants against Hayden for accessory after the fact of a felony and misprision of a felony, which police said is failure to report a crime.
Lareakus Antonio Cunningham Jr., 18, and Na’Rickio Laquan Mickle, 19, were denied bail Wednesday in court after they were arrested on charges of attempted murder, breach of peace, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, Roper said.
A third man, Zydarius Quashon Stover, 19, is in custody at the Lancaster County jail on a $10,000 bond, Roper said. He is charged with misprision of a felony, according to police and jail records.
Police have arrest warrants for breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature for Jayvion Marcellus Wells, 18, who Roper said was wounded during the shooting and remains hospitalized. He will be taken into custody upon release from medical treatment, Roper said.
Check back for updates.
