Second arrest made after 11-year-old girl was killed, Lexington County sheriff says
A second man was arrested more than two weeks after an 11-year-old was killed and another child was injured in a shooting, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
DeCarlos Terrell Chatman turned himself in to law enforcement officers on Saturday, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The 36-year-old Batesburg-Leesville resident was charged with unlawfully possessing a handgun because he has been convicted of a crime of violence, according to the release.
“Chatman fired multiple shots from a semiautomatic handgun while he was at the Madera Road scene near Batesburg-Leesville the night of June 9,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. “Multiple witnesses have confirmed this to us.”
At about 10:40 p.m., deputies said they responded to reports of gunfire in the 700 block of Madera Road near Batesburg-Leesville. That’s near the intersection of South Pine and Willis streets, and about 3 miles from Shealy’s Bar-B-Que.
A party had been going on when bullets flew into a nearby home, according to the sheriff’s department. The resident of that home was not hosting the party, a department spokesperson said.
Tashya Michelle Jay, 11, of Leesville, died at the scene, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.
Taysha was a fourth-grade student at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School, Lexington District 3 spokeswoman Mackenzie Taylor told The State.
Another girl was also shot inside the home and was taken to an area hospital, the sheriff’s department said. Her injuries are not considered life threatening, according to Fisher.
Chatman’s shots happened before an exchange of gunfire between multiple parties, according to Koon.
The gunfire damaged multiple homes and vehicles in the area, according to the sheriff’s department.
Deputies said the shooting was “gang related” but haven’t given further details.
On June 11, Quayshaun Xzander Clark, 29, was charged with murder, attempted murder and gun crimes, the sheriff’s department said. He remains behind bars at the Lexington County Detention Center after his bond was denied, jail records show.
Clark fired a “high-caliber gun, known as a Draco,” Koon previously said. “Multiple witnesses told us Clark had a Draco during the shooting.”
A Draco is a semi-automatic pistol that can hold up to 30 bullets and looks like a small AK-47.
“We’re still hard at work on this case,” Koon said. “We said from the start that information from the community would be helpful to us and that’s what turned our attention to Chatman.”
The sheriff’s department is still asking for tips and information about the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 9:20 AM.
