Back-to-back SC shootings with 19 victims, 2 dead likely connected, police say
Blood stained a nightclub parking lot and an apartment complex sidewalk after two back-to-back shootings in Aiken County.
Now, police are investigating likely connections between the shootings, one of which was more violent than originally believed.
“It’s looking like it’s going to be connected,” said Capt. Martin Sawyer of the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
The shootings on Saturday morning and Sunday night left 17 people wounded and two dead, police said. Three agencies, including the state police, are investigating.
Saturday, about 12:30 a.m., a light-colored Chevrolet Tahoe with at least three people inside pulled up to the Seventh Lounge at 1695 Richland Ave. East just outside the eastern city limits of Aiken, police said. They opened fire on the crowd at the nightclub with a handgun and a rifle.
Saturday morning, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office reported that the gunmen wounded 13 people and killed one. But by Wednesday, police had discovered four more had been shot, making for 18 victims, according to Capt. Eric Abdullah of the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.
The Aiken County Coroner’s Office identified 30-year-old Craig Youmans of North Augusta as the person who was killed at the scene.
Sunday evening, about 7:30, a person called the Aiken Department of Public Safety about a shooting at the Palmetto Crossing apartment complex at 4000 Sandlapper Drive. Officers found a man shot dead in a breezeway between apartments.
The coroner’s office identified the victim as 34-year-old TyQuan Graham of Aiken.
The two locations are less than five miles apart.
The police agencies did not explain what may connect the shootings aside from timing and distance. But investigators are gathering evidence to solidify the connection, Abdullah said.
The Seventh Lounge was putting on a party with DJs and emcees on the night of the shooting. The day after, the club’s management put out a statement on social media. “We are truly saddened by the events that occurred last night and would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected as a result,” it read.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is helping investigate the apartment complex shooting with the Aiken public safety department. So far investigators have no suspects and no one has been arrested in either shooting, police said.
The police agencies asked for tips to help find the shooters.
Police asked anyone who has video or information on the shooting suspects to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at 803-648-6811. Information can also be provided anonymously through Midlands Crime Stoppers by visiting its website or calling 888-274-6372. A cash reward of up to $1,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for the crime, the office said.
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 1:52 PM.