Newberry County deputies investigating deadly home invasion

Newberry County sheriff’s deputies are searching for four suspects who were involved in a fatal home invasion Wednesday morning that left one man dead, according to officials.

Newberry County Coroner Craig Newton said Ronnion Danyell Byron, 32, of Little Mountain, died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said deputies responded to Byron’s residence on Ponderosa Lane in Little Mountain, which is a town near the Lexington County, at 12:15 a.m. in reference to a home invasion call. When deputies arrived they located Byron dead inside the residence.

Foster said further investigation revealed that Byron and another individual were inside the home when they heard a knock at the door. When Byron pulled curtain back from the door’s window, a suspect shot him through the glass. The second occupant of the residence ran to the rear of the home and hid between a mattress and a wall. The individual told deputies he could hear additional gunshots and suspects ransacking the home.

As the suspects began to leave, two other residents were returning to the home after going on a trip to Chapin, Foster said. The suspects blocked them in on Ponderosa Lane and began firing shots at them. The victims were able to flee to a nearby residence uninjured.

Foster said the suspects are described as four black males dressed in dark-colored clothing and driving a dark-colored, four-door sedan. One of the suspects had a camouflage-type cloth over his face. The suspects were believed to be armed with a handgun and a “long” gun.

If anyone has information regarding the incident or the suspects, they are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (888)-CRIME-SC, or the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 321-2222.