‘A shocking disregard for human life,’ SC sheriff says after deadly shooting
A manhunt recently ended when a South Carolina teenager was charged with murder following a shooting, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Harrison Charles Townsend, an 18-year-old Nexton resident, was arrested Sunday, jail records show. That’s the day after 20-year-old Summerville resident Kymeek T. Traylor was killed during an armed robbery, the sheriff’s office said Monday in a news release.
The shooting happened Saturday night at the Myers Market in Summerville, according to the release.
At about 9:30 p.m., deputies responded to the convenience store where an armed robbery was in progress, the sheriff’s office said. The store owner told law enforcement that he could see the robbery taking place on the store’s surveillance cameras, according to the release.
When deputies got to the store the robbery suspect, later identified as Townsend, had left, but they discovered Traylor’s body, the sheriff’s office said.
The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office was called to the store at 9:37 p.m., while a search for the gunman was initiated.
The sheriff’s office, along with members of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were involved in the manhunt for Townsend, according to the release.
Information about an exact time and location where Townsend was found was not available.
No bond has been set for Townsend, who remains locked up in the Berkeley County Detention Center, jail records show.
“This was a heinous and senseless act of violence. The victim was completely compliant during the robbery,” Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said in the release. “The suspect showed a shocking disregard for human life, and this community will not tolerate such brutality.”
Despite Townsend’s arrest, the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office are continuing to investigate the shooting.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 843-719-4412.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 1:11 PM with the headline "‘A shocking disregard for human life,’ SC sheriff says after deadly shooting."
