Multiple men charged with murder from mass shooting at graduation party, SC cops say
Four men were arrested on multiple charges, including murder, weeks after the deadly mass shooting at a Midlands area graduation party, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
Audrionna Kind, 32, was killed in the June 4 shooting, where eight other people were injured by gunfire.
Seven of those other victims were children, including a 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old, in addition to two 15-year-olds and two 17-year-olds, according to Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley. A 36-year-old was also shot, the sheriff said.
All of the surviving victims have been treated and released from area hospitals, Baxley said Tuesday when announcing the arrests.
Amontae Daevon Wright, 18, Jaheim Sylvester Billie, 19, and Tyrese Amante Brunson, 21, have all been taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. A fourth wanted man, 21-year-old Demondre Isaiah Dennis, turned himself in to law enforcement officers following a news conference Baxley held about the shooting, according to multiple media reports.
Each of the men was charged with one count of murder, eight counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release.
The shooting happened at a graduation party being held on St. Paul Road, according to the sheriff’s office. That’s in the Summerton area of Clarendon County.
At about 11 p.m., deputies responded to calls about a shooting at the party, according to Baxley.
There were between 100-150 people at the party when deputies arrived, including the shooting victims, Baxley said.
Investigators determined that all of the victims were standing in the front yard of the home, or near the street, when a car passed and someone inside the vehicle opened fire into the crowd, according to the release.
The sheriff said there were multiple people firing weapons, and between 60-70 bullet shells were recovered.
Baxley said the motive for the shooting is believed to be gang related, stemming from previous incidents in Clarendon County. Information about those past incidents was not available.
The FBI Gang Task Force was called to assist following the shooting. It will continue to investigate the incident as well as other gang-related incidents in Clarendon County, according to the release.
Despite the arrests, Baxley said the investigation is not over, and more shooters could be identified and charged.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-435-4414, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
In addition to the sheriff’s office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Manning Police Department participated in the investigation. Other law enforcement agencies that offered assistance include the Sumter Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, and Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
The 3rd Circuit Solicitor’s Office has also been involved with the investigation.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Multiple men charged with murder from mass shooting at graduation party, SC cops say."
