Crime
Calhoun County Teen Charged in Fatal Shooting After Allegedly Consuming Drug-Laced Gummy; Victim Identified as Darius Aiken
Calhoun County, SC – The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has provided new details regarding a fatal shooting that took place Friday evening, clarifying that the victims were not wearing masks, despite the suspect’s claims at the time of the incident.
Deputies responded to a residence in the 300 block of Cardinal Road in Elloree at approximately 8:00 p.m. following reports of a shooting.
Upon arrival, officers discovered two gunshot victims.
19-year-old Darius Aiken, a recent returnee to the Elloree area from Summerton, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The second victim, who sustained non-fatal injuries, was airlifted to Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia for treatment.
Investigators later questioned a 16-year-old suspect and his father, who were also at the scene.
According to authorities, the teen suspect had ingested a marijuana-laced gummy and began experiencing paranoia and overheating.
As the effects of the substance intensified, the teen claimed he perceived two individuals wearing white masks in the kitchen.
He then went into his father’s bedroom, retrieved a shotgun, and returned to the kitchen.
Without provocation, he shot Aiken at close range, then fired at the second victim, who was attempting to flee.
The second victim was struck by bullet shrapnel but not a direct shot.
However, authorities later confirmed that neither victim was wearing a mask, and the shooter personally knew both individuals prior to the attack.
The sheriff’s office also noted that Aiken was the suspect’s neighbor, and the group had been socializing together before the tragic events unfolded.
Investigators are now working to determine whether the marijuana gummy the suspect consumed may have been laced with a hallucinogen, which could have exacerbated his altered perception and violent response.
Due to the suspect’s juvenile status, authorities have not released his name.
However, he has been formally charged with:
- Murder
- Attempted Murder
- Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime
The case remains under active investigation, and further forensic testing on the substance consumed by the suspect is underway.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information regarding the incident to come forward.
Crime
Victims Identified in Deadly Robeson County Mass Shooting
Two Dead, 13 Injured in Mass Shooting at Large Party in Robeson County, North Carolina
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — A late-night party in eastern North Carolina turned deadly early Saturday morning when gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and 13 others injured, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that deputies were called to the scene on Dixon Drive, just outside the town of Maxton, at approximately 3:00 a.m. following reports of a shooting at a large outdoor gathering attended by more than 150 people.
When deputies arrived, chaos had already unfolded — witnesses said over 150 individuals fled the area before law enforcement could secure the scene.
Authorities identified the deceased victims as Jessie Locklear and his son Nehemiah Locklear.
Several other victims sustained critical injuries and were transported to area hospitals for emergency treatment.
Sheriff Wilkins stated that, based on preliminary findings, the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the wider community.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from multiple agencies, continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the violence.
Detectives are working to determine the motive and identify all parties involved.
Authorities are urging anyone with information—or anyone who attended the gathering and witnessed the incident—to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Investigators at 910-671-3100.
“We know there were many people present when this occurred,” Sheriff Wilkins said. “If you saw something or know something, we need you to come forward to help bring justice to the victims and their families.”