Man who broke Chester SC school window and kidnapped child is caught, sheriff says
A man who broke into a South Carolina school Friday through a window and grabbed a student in a pre-kindergarten class before being caught is charged with kidnapping and other charges, officials said.
The child was a student at an elementary school on the Chester Park school complex, Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey and Chester County School District interim superintendent Tammy Snipes said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
The child, who has not been identified, has minor injuries, Dorsey said.
The suspect, D’arrius Tyrese Edwards, 20, of Chester, crashed a vehicle into nearby woods then used his head to break a classroom window before going inside and grabbing the child minutes after noon, officials said.
There is no known relationship between Edwards and the child, Dorsey said.
It remains unclear why Edwards chose the child, officials said.
The motive for the attack at the school also remains unclear.
Dorsey declined to get into why Edwards was near the school, but said there was “a domestic incident initially” before the crash and breaching of the building.
Officials, teachers and cops were “heroes”
The complex that holds four school buildings is located off S.C. 9 — also called Lancaster Highway — just outside the Chester city limits.
Three adult staff, including at least one teacher, were in the classroom at the time, Dorsey said. One of the teachers fought with Edwards to try and keep him from taking the child, according to Dorsey.
Edwards was able to elude the teachers, then jumped back out of the broken window with the child, officials said.
That’s when school resource officers who were already stationed at the school and other nearby campus buildings arrived outside the classroom and engaged Edwards, Dorsey said. Deputies used stun guns to subdue Edwards, Dorsey said.
Both Dorsey and Snipes called the adults in the classroom and the officers who ran to the attack to subdue the suspect “heroes” at the news conference.
Dorsey said the school resource officers who are deputies ran to the crisis and handled it.
Dorsey said the actions of the adults at the school, “saved lives today.”
The news conference was broadcast on the school district’s YouTube channel.
Lockdown for an hour
Within minutes of the break-in at the school, Chester sheriff officials posted on official social media that the school was on lockdown, but gave no details. They asked the public to avoid the area as law enforcement rushed to the scene and secured the students and staff inside the building. Law enforcement provided updates by social media through around 1 p.m. when the threat was over.
Through the afternoon, Chester deputies, Chester city police, plus State Law Enforcement Division and FBI agents assisted with the case.
The lockdown was moved to a hold, then students were dismissed around 1:15 p.m., according to deputies and the district.
Edwards faces charges of kidnapping, second-degree burglary, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Dorsey said he was taken to the Chester County jail.
The school complex is located about 20 miles south of Rock Hill.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 1:10 PM.
