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
Angela Johnson and Her Son DeAngelo Johnson Killed After Shooting Inside Home in Chicago, Mother’s Boyfriend in Custody
CHICAGO — A 47-year-old mother and her 27-year-old son were fatally shot inside a residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side late Thursday night, September 24, 2026, according to Chicago police.
The victims were identified as Angela Johnson, 47, and DeAngelo Johnson, 27. Police said a suspect, identified as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend, was taken into custody following the shooting.
The deadly shooting happened in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue at approximately 10:43 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the basement of the residence and called 911.
When Chicago police officers arrived, they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Angela Johnson was found in the basement with a gunshot wound to her chest. Police-radio traffic indicated she had been shot on the right side of her chest.
DeAngelo Johnson was found on the first floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Radio traffic indicated that he had suffered two gunshot wounds to his back.
Both victims were initially unresponsive and in critical condition. Emergency personnel performed CPR on DeAngelo Johnson before both victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police-radio traffic, one victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:18 p.m., while the male victim was pronounced dead around 11:21 p.m.
Investigators found extensive evidence inside the residence, including approximately 23 shell casings in a basement bedroom. Additional shell casings were reportedly recovered in other areas of the basement, including the stairway, main room and bedroom.
Officers initially recovered a firearm and shell casings from the basement bedroom. Police later located a second firearm inside the home, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to two.
Authorities have not publicly stated who owned the firearms or confirmed which weapon, if either, was used in the fatal shooting.
Police also reported that DeAngelo Johnson was wearing an empty holster when officers found him on the first floor. That discovery prompted an officer-safety alert as officers searched the residence for the missing firearm.
Chicago police said the shooting appeared to be domestic-related and identified the alleged offender as the mother’s boyfriend.
Radio traffic indicated that a person had been detained by approximately 11:26 p.m. The official police report later confirmed that the known offender was taken into custody.
Two witnesses were reportedly available to identify the alleged offender, and officers conducted a show-up identification procedure near the scene.
Police have not released additional information about potential charges against the suspect.
The investigation into the Chicago Austin neighborhood double shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the shooting, the relationship between the people involved and the role of the two recovered firearms.
The deaths of Angela Johnson and DeAngelo Johnson are being investigated as a double homicide.