Search for armed and dangerous killer after bodies found in motel room, SC cops say

Two men died overnight in a shooting and a search is underway for their killers, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.

The bodies of a 39- and 40-year-old were found in a room at the Days Inn in the 2600 block of U.S. 1/Columbia Highway, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. That’s in Aiken, just off Exit 22 on Interstate 20.

At about 11 p.m., deputies responded to reports of a shooting at the motel, according to the release. When they arrived, deputies were directed to room 229 where they found the men with gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.

The men died at the scene, according to the release.

Barry J. Redding was the 39-year-old victim, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said.

On Monday, the coroner said that the second man was publicly identified as Stephan A. Poole, a 40-year-old Aiken resident.

Autopsies are scheduled for both men on Wednesday in Newberry.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word on a shooter, or shooters, or a motive for the gunfire. Whoever killed the men should be considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff’s office said.

No arrests have been reported by the sheriff’s office, which continues to investigate the shooting, along with the coroner’s office.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-648-6811, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

“We are in the early stages of this investigation and community assistance is important,” the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published July 3, 2022 at 9:21 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription