No charges expected after Sumter woman shoots, kills man police say attacked her

No charges are expected after a Sumter woman shot and killed a man who entered her home and attacked her early Saturday morning.

Sumter police said in a Facebook post that Eugene Rhinehart III, 31, was transported to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital with a gunshot wound, where he later died.

Police say Rhinehart entered the woman’s home on Robney Drive around 4:15 a.m. through an unlocked door, and then began punching a 43-year-old woman inside the house.

The woman managed to get to a firearm kept in the house, and shot Rhinehart.

The woman likely will face no charges due to the circumstances of the shooting, police said, but the investigation is continuing.

This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 9:34 AM.

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription