By HEATHER RUPPE
Authorities are still investigating a large shooting that left five people with gunshot wounds.
The April Fool’s Day shooting occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on Logan Farm Road in a rural part of Walterboro, about two miles from Mt. Carmel Road.
According to information provided by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, 911-disaptchers received multiple emergency calls about “people shooting at each other.” When officers arrived to the scene, they found five people, all of whom had at least one gunshot wound each.
The crime scene was located along a rural dirt lane road, about two miles off of Mt. Carmel Road outside of Walterboro. Initial reports coming into the 911-emergency call center reported that one person was shot. Then, more calls indicated that two people were shot, according to Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy, who called the scene “chaotic.”
“Some occupants went to a house near the location and other injured parties ran to escape the scene,” he said.
Deputies found four shooting victims about one-quarter-of-a-mile south of the incident location. According to McRoy, a 17-year-old male was treated for a gunshot wound to his abdomen at a house near the initial location of the shooting. A 22-year-old man was also treated at the scene: he had multiple gunshot wounds. A 19-year-old man with two gunshot wounds was taken to Trident Medical Center and a 33-year-old woman was taken to Colleton Medical Center with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The age of the fifth gunshot victim is not known.
Combined, four ambulances and two medical helicopters responded to the scene.
The sheriff’s office has called the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for assistance in investigating the crime. Sheriff’s office Spokesman Shalane Lowes said she cannot disclose details about the case, as it is still under investigation.
There is no motive at this time, and there have not yet been any arrests.
Lowes did confirm on Monday that this shooting was not gang-related.
The case is being investigated as an attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-CRIME SC or the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office at 843-549-2211.
