Accused arsonist who torched Walmart clothing rack is arrested, SC cops say

Deputies have charged a man they say set fire to a clothing rack inside a South Carolina Walmart, forcing the evacuation and temporary closure of the store. 

Russell William Geddings was arrested Wednesday and charged in connection with the Dec. 5 fire, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. The exact charges Geddings faces were not immediately available. 

The fire happened just after midnight on Dec. 5 at the Walmart on the 508 Bypass in Greenwood, sheriff’s officials said at the time. A then-unidentified man entered the store and set fire to a clothing carousel. 

The fire forced the evacuation of the store, and deputies said the suspect exited the store with the crowd and then watched from afar as emergency responders arrived.