Neighbors were socializing before one man killed the other, SC police say
Two South Carolina men were socializing at a neighbor’s Midlands home Tuesday when they got into an argument that turned deadly, the Sumter Police Department said.
Barry Lee Thompson, a 56-year-old Sumter resident, was shot and killed, police said Wednesday in a news release.
Thompson’s Arnaud Street neighbor, 65-year-old Ronald Glenn Rodgers, was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release.
The shooting happened on another neighbor’s Arnaud Street property, police said.
At about 7:15 p.m., officers responded to a call about a shooting and found Thompson in the backyard of the home, according to the release. Thompson was taken to Prisma Health Tuomey hospital where he died, police said.
Both Thompson and Rodgers were at the mutual neighbor’s home and socializing before getting into an argument, according to the release. Information about why the men were arguing was not available.
Rodgers pulled a gun and shot Thompson, police said.
No other injuries were reported.
Rodgers drove away from the scene before officers found him in a vehicle on Miller Road, according to the release. That’s about 1.5 miles from Arnaud Street, and near the University of South Carolina-Sumter campus.
Rodgers pulled over and a gun was found during a search of the vehicle, police said.
He was arrested without incident and taken to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, police said. No bond has been set for Rodgers, who is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 13, Sumter County judicial records show.
Despite the arrest, police said an investigation into the death is ongoing, and the coroner’s office has scheduled an autopsy.
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This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 11:08 AM.
