IRMO, S.C. — A dispute between neighbors on Hedgefield Court in the Irmo community ended in a fatal shooting on Wednesday, according to law enforcement officials.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott identified the victim as 22-year-old James Outland and the suspect as 46-year-old Charmika Wright. Authorities say the altercation escalated, resulting in Outland’s death and Wright’s subsequent arrest on a murder charge.
“It’s still early in the investigation,” Lott said. “It was just a neighbor dispute. There was not any what I would call harassment. There was nothing that justified someone shooting somebody else and taking their life, and that’s why she’s charged with a homicide.”
According to the incident report, Outland’s wife said she was retrieving mail when Wright began yelling at her from her driveway. Feeling fearful, she texted her husband for help.
Outland reportedly returned home around 2:50 p.m. to confront Wright. As he attempted to prevent Wright from entering their property, shots were fired.
Sheriff Lott clarified the reasoning behind the murder charge. "If it was self-defense, we would not have arrested her. The fact she’s charged with his death should indicate that the evidence we have so far is that she took his life, and it was not a justifiable shooting.”
Wright appeared in bond court on Thursday, but audio from the hearing was not allowed. During her appearance, Outland’s wife spoke tearfully about the impact of the shooting, stating that she lost her best friend and the love of her life and that she saw the fear in his eyes in his final moments.
Wright’s attorney argued there were self-defense elements involved, claiming Wright was in her own yard and had previously reported complaints about Outland’s behavior, including alleged stalking.
Sheriff Lott, however, said that Wright’s arrest was warranted. “This an isolated incident, but I'll also tell people there is no neighbor dispute that should rise to this occasion where someone is killed, there's not. There are other ways for mediation and other things can be done before resorting to what happened yesterday," he said.
The attorney for Wright requested a $40,000 cash surety bond, but a bond was not set during Thursday's hearing due to the severity of the charges.
Wright’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 31.
