Argument where trash is thrown leads to bullets flying and chase, SC cops say
A South Carolina man is in jail on multiple charges after an argument where trash was thrown escalated into a drive-by shooting, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.
On Monday, 24-year-old Blair resident Desmond James was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault & battery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and failure to stop for a blue light, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The charges stem from a shooting earlier Monday, according to the release. An exact time and location of the gunfire was not available.
Deputies responded to reports of shots fired near a home in the Lake Monticello community, and were told by witnesses that the gunman left the scene in a black Dodge Neon, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies quickly located the vehicle and initiated a brief pursuit before the driver, later identified as James, surrendered without further incident, according to the release.
When they stopped James, deputies saw spent shell casings inside the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
The shooting victims told deputies that James stopped in front of their driveway and fired multiple rounds from his vehicle, striking a victim’s car, according to the release. A witness also confirmed James as the driver involved in the shooting, the sheriff’s office said.
No injuries were reported.
When James was taken into custody, he was brought to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office for an interview, according to the release. James waived his rights and admitted to firing shots at the victims, the sheriff’s office said.
James told investigators that he had been involved in an earlier verbal altercation with one of the victims, and that had escalated after claiming that trash was thrown at his vehicle, according to the release.
James is being held at the Fairfield County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said. Bond was set at $45,000 on the combined charges, but has not been posted, Fairfield County court records show.
James is scheduled to return to court Dec. 10, according to judicial records.
Despite James’ arrest, the shooting continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call 803-635-4141, or leave an anonymous tip at 803-815-4191.
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This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Argument where trash is thrown leads to bullets flying and chase, SC cops say."
