South Carolina

SC man locked up in prison charged with murder a year after shooting, sheriff says

A man who is locked up in a South Carolina prison was charged with murder from a year-old shooting where three people were hit by gunfire and one of them died, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.

On Aug. 19, Marshawn Devon Geiger was formally arrested for the murder of Tyon D. Byrd, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Geiger was also charged with two counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release.

The former Winnsboro resident is an inmate who’s incarcerated by the South Carolina Department of Corrections on unrelated charges, the sheriff’s office said.

The newest charges stem from a July 1, 2023 shooting, according to the release.

Byrd was among those attending a birthday party at a Peach Road home in the Greenbrier area of Fairfield County, the sheriff’s office said. Shots were fired into a crowd of people and Byrd, along with two others, were hit by gunfire, according to the release.

All three were taken to area hospitals, where Byrd died, the sheriff’s office said.

The other shooting victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. Further information on the surviving victims’ conditions was not available.

“We want to express our deepest sorrow to the families and friends of Tyon Byrd and the two other victims,” Sheriff Will Montgomery said in the release. “This was a senseless tragedy and we know that these families have been hurting.”

While no arrests were announced in the immediate aftermath from the shooting, the sheriff’s office said investigators continued to follow leads related to the shooting and eventually were able to identify Geiger as a gunman.

Geiger will be brought before a Fairfield County judge at a later date, according to the release.

There was no word on a motive for the shooting, or if anyone else fired a weapon.

“We are glad to have been able to make an arrest in this investigation,” Montgomery said. “I want to thank those members in the community who willingly talked with our investigators to help us put all of the pieces of this investigation together. Without the community partnerships that we have, and are so proud of, making headway in investigations such as this would be much more difficult.”

Geiger has previously pleaded guilty to breach of peace (2022), assault & battery (2019) and multiple burglary (2017) charges, Fairfield County court records show.

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This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 12:14 PM with the headline "SC man locked up in prison charged with murder a year after shooting, sheriff says."

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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