Lockdown lifted in Midlands neighborhood where search for armed man took place
Residents in a Midlands neighborhood were asked to stay inside Wednesday morning as law enforcement officers searched for an armed man.
A manhunt was underway in the area near the Kershaw and Lancaster county line, close to the 800 block of Neds Creek Road, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. That’s about 25 miles north of Camden.
The search was called off around 11 a.m. when it was believed the man escaped from the area, Sheriff Lee Boan told The State.
But starting at about 8 a.m., there was a heavy law enforcement presence involved in the search for a man armed with a rifle that was stolen from a car earlier Wednesday, according to the release.
It was one of several car break-ins in the area, the sheriff’s office said.
Information on the thief was not available.
“We’ve cleared the scene and are following leads, but we don’t know who he is,” Boan said.
The man is wanted for one vehicle break-in in Kershaw County, and several more in Lancaster County, Boan said.
The search began after a resident reported seeing a “suspicious guy with a long gun” walking down the street, Boan said. That elevated the situation to a public safety issue, according to the sheriff.
During the search the sheriff’s office asked residents to stay inside, and everyone else was urged to stay out of the area.
In addition to deputies, the manhunt involved K9 teams and the use of drones for an aerial search, according to the release.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-425-1512, or the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388. Information can also be reported to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 10:36 AM.
