Arrest made after mother shot while pushing baby in stroller on Midlands road, cops say
A woman who was pushing her infant child down a Midlands road in a stroller was shot multiple times Tuesday, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Wednesday, a Midlands man was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including attempted murder, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
After he was found hiding inside his Delaware Drive home, Steven Galloway, a 53-year-old Sumter resident, was also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime and felon in possession of a firearm, according to the release.
The 23-year-old woman is alive, and recovered enough to provide investigators with information, the sheriff’s office said. Further information on her condition was not available.
The baby was not injured, and was safely placed with another family member, according to the release.
“None of us can fathom the evil that it takes for someone to intentionally point a gun at and shoot another person, but in this case, there was an infant child in the middle,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in the release.
No other injuries were reported in the shooting that the sheriff’s office called a road rage-type incident because the victim and Galloway did not know each other.
What happened
The sheriff’s office said Galloway was driving on Rye Street and got upset that the victim was walking too far in the road. That’s in Sumter, near the intersection of Manning Road and Pocalla Road.
The two got into an argument and Galloway left. But he returned moments later yelling at the woman, got out of his vehicle and hit her, according to the release. Galloway then returned to the vehicle where he got a gun and shot the victim multiple times — leaving her and the infant in the road, the sheriff’s office said.
At about 11:30 a.m., deputies and EMS personnel responded to reports of a woman lying in the road along Rye Street, the sheriff’s office said.
Finding the shooter
Witnesses provided information about a vehicle related to the shooting, according to the release.
When the woman recovered, she was able to provide the same information that was shared by witnesses, and investigators identified Galloway as the shooter, prompting a search, the sheriff’s office said.
With assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service, deputies confirmed Galloway was at his Dalzell home and called for him to come out, according to the release. When Galloway didn’t respond after an extended period, law enforcement officers were able to get a search warrant and went into the home, the sheriff’s office said.
Both Galloway and the gun suspected of being used in the shooting were found inside, and he was taken into custody at about 1 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
Because of a previous felony charge, Galloway isn’t able to lawfully possess a firearm, according to the release.
Bond was denied and Galloway is being held at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said.
Ongoing investigation
In spite of the arrest, the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-436-2000, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
“First, I am extremely proud of how tough and brave this victim is. She miraculously survived this incident and helped us verify the identity of the suspect,” Dennis said. “Second, I am very proud that our responding deputy had a ‘Go’ bag which contains lifesaving medical items. He administered basic tactical medical trauma assessment while waiting for EMS to arrive. We are certain his actions (helped her survive).
“I am also proud of the community for standing up against this type of behavior and helping provide information. I asked for help in getting this person into custody, and he was booked into our jail before the night was over. Thank you all.”
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This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Arrest made after mother shot while pushing baby in stroller on Midlands road, cops say."
