Man wanted for attempted murder found dead after shootout with cops, SC sheriff says
A man wanted for attempted murder was found dead Monday after he was involved in a shootout with South Carolina law enforcement.
Members of the Barnwell Police Department and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agents tried to arrest the fugitive from Allendale County who was wanted on two counts of attempted murder, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
It was just before 2 p.m. when they attempted the arrest at an apartment at 306 Litchfield Street in Barnwell, according to the release. That’s near a Walmart Supercenter, about 60 miles south of Columbia.
The wanted man, later identified as Aaron T. Brooker, opened fire on law enforcement, the sheriff’s office said.
Law enforcement shot back at Brooker, who remained inside the apartment, according to the release.
The SWAT team from SLED arrived and tried to negotiate with Brooker, but those attempts failed, the sheriff’s office said.
The Barnwell County Coroner’s Office said a robot was then sent into the residence, and it discovered the 22-year-old Brooker’s body in an upstairs bedroom, The People-Sentinel reported.
Brooker had been shot and was pronounced dead at about 5:40 p.m., according to the Aiken Standard.
Information was not available if Brooker had been shot during the gunfire with law enforcement, or if it was a self-inflicted gunshot.
The coroner’s office said an autopsy and toxicology exam have been scheduled, WFXG reported.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting at the request of the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office and SLED.
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