Crime
Victim in Anderson County VFW Mass Shooting Identified as 35-Year-Old Laporshia Cobb
As of Sunday afternoon, no suspects have been publicly identified.
A community Juneteenth celebration in Anderson County turned tragic Saturday night when gunfire erupted near the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post on Scarborough Road, leaving one woman dead and at least ten others injured.
According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began as a fight among individuals attending the event and quickly escalated into a mass shooting.
Hundreds of people were gathered in the area for the celebration when multiple gunshots rang out, sending attendees running for cover and creating widespread panic.
Shale Remien, spokesperson for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, said authorities were faced with a chaotic and rapidly evolving situation. “What we do know is that multiple shots rang out, with multiple people hurt all at the same time,” she said. “People were taken from the scene by others in their own vehicles. That’s why you see clothing, debris, and personal items scattered everywhere.”
Emergency responders said one person died at the scene. The victim was later identified by the Anderson County Coroner’s Office as 35-year-old Laporshia Janae Gray Cobb, of Anderson.
She died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Her death has been ruled a homicide.
Among the ten others injured, one individual was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital in critical condition, while eight others were transported to local hospitals in Anderson for emergency treatment.
The extent of their injuries has not yet been released.
As first responders and investigators arrived at the scene, nearby roads were clogged with parked vehicles from attendees, many of which were illuminated by flashing emergency lights well into Sunday morning.
A South Carolina Highway Patrol cruiser was reportedly struck during the response and had to be towed from the scene, along with numerous other vehicles.
“Chaos is an understatement when it comes to this scene,” Remien said. “That’s why you see how large this area is.”
Crime scene investigators worked through the night, combing the area for evidence.
Dozens of shell casings were found on the ground, and evidence markers were scattered throughout the parking lot and surrounding area.
A bystander, who wished to remain anonymous, described how the celebration had started on a positive note but took a horrifying turn. “We were coming together just to celebrate each other and enjoy one another,” the man said. “It was good—until it wasn’t.”
“You could tell people came together for the right reasons,” Remien added. “Unfortunately, that took a turn very quickly.”
As of Sunday afternoon, no suspects have been publicly identified.
Authorities believe multiple individuals may be responsible for the shooting.
The motive remains unclear, and investigators have not confirmed whether the violence was directly related to the Juneteenth celebration.
“This scene is far from being wrapped up,” Remien stated. “We will be investigating for quite a while.”
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information or video footage from the area to come forward to assist in the ongoing investigation.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.