Fight led to second showdown where one man was killed, another arrested, SC cops say
A young man was killed and another was charged with murder following a shooting, Lexington County officials said Tuesday.
Brendon Armontae Nyquan Gray, a 21-year-old Swansea resident, died Monday after being shot in the upper body, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.
In addition to murder, 20-year-old Little Mountain resident Nathan Thomas Caldwell was charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.
While a $30,000 bond was set on the weapon charge, Caldwell was denied bond on the murder charge and he remains behind bars in the Lexington County Detention Center, jail records show.
The shooting happened Monday in the 200 block of Stevens Creek Road, according to Fisher. That’s in the Little Mountain area near Lake Murray, not far from the Newberry County line.
“After reviewing the information they gathered during their investigation, detectives determined Caldwell and the shooting victim fought Saturday night and continued to talk over social media about fighting again,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a news release. “A bunch of people showed up at Caldwell’s house in the 200 block of Stevens Creek Road Monday evening and he told investigators when he saw one of them had a gun he got his gun.”
The sheriff said that Caldwell then stepped outside and shot the person closest to him, later identified as Gray. Gray was not armed, according to the sheriff’s department.
Gray was taken to a fire station in Newberry County where he was pronounced dead due to his injuries, according to Fisher.
“Crime scene investigators processed the car that transported the victim as well as Caldwell’s house,” Koon said.
Investigators are trying to identify the people who came to Caldwell’s house, and one of them fired a shot into the house as they drove away, according to the sheriff.
“This is still an open and active investigation, and more charges and arrests are possible in this case,” Koon said.
Both the sheriff’s department and coroner’s office are continuing to investigate the shooting.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
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This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 7:45 AM.
