4 juveniles upset with discipline, now charged with murder in Rock Hill SC man’s death
Four South Carolina teens are charged with murder after they allegedly shot a Rock Hill man who had applied tough discipline, police said.
The four are charged as juveniles with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department. The relationship between the juveniles and the victim has not been released.
The victim, who police say was 38 years old, has not been identified by the York County Coroner. The victim was found shot to death Monday morning after midnight at an apartment on Paces River Road near Interstate 77.
“The juveniles were angry about discipline that had occurred earlier in the day,” Chavis told The Herald.
Three of the teens charged are 14 years old, and one is 15 years old, Chavis said. One of the juveniles is from Lancaster while three are from Rock Hill, Chavis said.
Police have not disclosed which teen is alleged to be the shooter.
All four teens are in the custody of the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, Chavis said.
Gun recovered
The four juveniles fled the scene after the shooting, Rock Hill police said in a written statement.
The gun believed to be used in the shooting was recovered by Rock Hill police with the help of the York County Sheriff’s Office and a K-9 unit.
Chavis told The Herald officers learned that the teens obtained the gun illegally. No other information about the handgun was released. The investigation continues.
It is illegal for anyone under age 18 to possess a handgun in South Carolina.
What happens now?
All four suspects are charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The charges are felonies.
Sixteenth Circuit Senior Assistant Solicitor Whitney Payne said York County prosecutors have not yet made a decision on whether to try any or all of the suspects as adults.
South Carolina prosecutors have the authority to seek adult trials and punishments in murder cases. Prosecutors would have to seek a ruling from a Family Court Judge in any attempt to waive the children up to adult court. In adult court, the potential punishment could be more severe.
A conviction for any crime in Family Court ends at age 21. If a person younger than 17 is tried as an adult, potential consequences could range as severe as life in prison.
Earlier in 2022, prosecutors in York County announced they were seeking a waiver to try two juveniles as adults for their alleged roles in shooting deaths. One of the suspects was 14 in a York woman’s shooting death. The other was age 16 from a triple homicide of three teens in Rock Hill.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 3:56 PM with the headline "4 juveniles upset with discipline, now charged with murder in Rock Hill SC man’s death."
