SANTEE, SC (WACH) - An "ongoing disagreement" lead to the death of one person and the arrest of four young men Thursday, according to the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced the arrest of four men Friday. Deshaun Jamel Fordham, 18, and Donte Jarod Stokes, 21, of Orangeburg were arrested for murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Jerry Jarell McKnight, 18, of St. Matthews was arrested for murder / attempted murder. Demetric Deontre Quattlebaum, 18, of Orangeburg was arrested in connection with the crime.
Officials with the sheriff's office believe one of the suspects was is in an ongoing disagreement with the male victim. The suspect allegedly saw the male victim cashing a check at a local store in the Santee area. When he left the store two suspects, Deshawn Fordham and Donte Stokes, are accused of opening fire on the male victim's vehicle on Highway 6 near Live Oak Church.
Ravenell says a female victim was struck during the shooting. According to the Associated Press, Kathy Mack, 31, of Orangeburg was found shot to death in a parked van in Santee.
Deputies were able to speak to the male victim, who was able to drive away, around 4 p.m. Thursday to obtain a description of the suspect vehicle. Investigators with several units set out to determine possible exit routes for the suspects.
According to Ravenell, Special Operations Investigator Harter saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle traveling toward Orangeburg on Highway 301. The four suspects were detained within an hour of the shooting. The sheriff's office recovered weapons they think were used in the shooting.
“These officers worked throughout the night to determine the incident location and the actual timeline of events, locate forensic evidence at the scene and in the vehicle and to charge three suspects with murder and one with accessory," said Ravenell. "The number of violent crimes that have taken place in Orangeburg County in unacceptable. Although our agency has made an arrest in every murder investigation, enough is enough! I want to be very clear - if you commit a crime in Orangeburg County, we are coming after you with everything we have! And after we lock you up, Solicitor David Pascoe and his team are going to make sure you go to jail for a long time!”
A bond hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. Friday for Quattlebaum. Arraignment for McKnight, Fordham and Stokes will be Monday at 2:30 p.m.
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