Search for man and woman wanted on murder charges after a shooting, SC sheriff says
UPDATE: On Wednesday Terone Justin McCray and Nia Laprece Wright surrendered to law enforcement officers and were charged.
Original Story
A search is underway for a South Carolina man and woman who are wanted on murder charges following a Sunday morning shooting, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Rembert residents Terone Justin McCray, 35, and Nia Laprece Wright, 28, are facing charges connected to the death of 32-year-old Jaquen Marquel Jefferson, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Jefferson, also a Rembert resident, was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit by gunfire while driving on Dinkins Mill Road at about 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the release.
Deputies responded to the shooting and found Jefferson was unresponsive, the sheriff’s office said.
Jefferson was taken to Prisma Health Tuomey hospital where he died, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said Monday.
No other injuries were reported.
After interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence, deputies learned that before the shooting, McCray and Wright argued with Jefferson, and made threats, assaulted the victim, and brandished firearms in the parking lot of an area business, according to the sheriff’s office.
Information about why McCray and Wright were arguing with Jefferson was not available, and there was no word if they knew each other prior to Sunday’s incident.
The sheriff’s office called the shooting an isolated incident.
Anyone who knows where McCray and Wright are, or has information about the shooting, is asked to call 911, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
The sheriff’s office said McCray and Wright should not be approached if seen.
“These suspects will feel the full weight of law enforcement from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office until they are apprehended. I would advise them to turn themselves in immediately,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in the release. “No one can believe they will bring gun violence to our county and escape justice.”
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This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 9:49 AM.
