Judge grants verdict of not guilty to 6 charged in SC mall shooting

A circuit judge in Greenwood County granted directed verdicts of not guilty to six defendants accused of firing a gun inside of Greenwood Cross Creek Mall in July 2018.

Circuit Court Judge Brooks Goldsmith took the uncommon step of acquitting all six men who were arrested and charged more than a year ago in connection to the mall shooting: Shyheim Alston, Shyheim Freeman, Shyheim Reed, Narkevious Reid, Isaiah Whatley and Antonio Williams Jr.

The shooting took place around 7 p.m. on a Saturday night, when police said several men fired multiple shots at another man who ran out of a Foot Locker, FOX Carolina reported.

Greenwood Police Department charged each defendant with attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime and high and aggravated breach of peace, the Greenwood Index-Journal reported. During the trial, each of the defendants also filed motions for a direct verdict.

The key witness in the case, Isaiah Brown, who police said was shot at in the incident, failed to appear in court.

Because Brown did not show up — despite a subpoena and bench warrant — and because there was no video footage of the incident, Goldsmith opted for a directed verdict after the state rested its case, the Index-Journal reported.

Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, whose office prosecuted the case, issued an email statement after the verdict, expressing disappointment that the jury members who had been on the case for three weeks were “not allowed to make a decision.”

“As my co-counsel and I argued in detail on the record in the courtroom today, there was more than sufficient evidence to send this case to the jury to decide the guilt or innocence of all six of the defendants,” Stumbo said.

The Greenwood Police Chief, Gerald Brooks, also disagreed with the ruling, according to the statement.

“Our officers worked virtually around the clock for the first several days of this investigation because our officers believe in our mission to protect the safety of this community,” Brooks said in the statement.

This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 11:26 AM.