LANCASTER, S.C. — Deputies of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting in the afternoon on July 11th at the dead end of Elliot Street in Lancaster.
All of the parties involved had already fled the scene when deputies arrived, but officials found empty shell casings and blood in a nearby parking lot.
They received word that a 16-year-old male, likely involved in the incident, with two non-fatal gunshot wounds had recently arrived at Spring Memorial Hospital. The hospital later transferred the victim to another facility for further medical treatment.
Through a detailed investigation launched by Criminal Investigators and Crime Scene Investigators, officials have learned that around 15 to 20 individuals had gathered at the scene in order to watch or participate in a planned altercation.
The 16-year-old victim was believed to have engaged in a fight with an unidentified male at the scene, prior to the shooting. During the altercation, another unidentified male began firing shots at the scene, incidentally causing harm to the 16-year-old male as he sustained two gunshot wounds.
“There were a lot of people out there when this occurred and we are not getting a whole lot of cooperation from witnesses,” said Sheriff Faile. He continued, “As a community, it is unacceptable to remain silent and tolerate this type of criminal behavior.”
Sheriff Faile is urging anyone who has information regarding the shooting incident to please come forward. To share any known details about the case, please call the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 283-3388 or Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or www.sccrimestoppers.com.
