KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is investigating two separate instances where a person was shot after agreeing to meet with someone they had met using a common dating app.
Sheriff Lee Boan said, “These are very unusual reports. The only facts we know at this time are that two individuals were treated on separate days at our hospital for gunshot wounds to their legs. Both victims are non-residents and stated they came to Kershaw County to visit people they met on dating apps. We do not feel the general public is in danger but we do strongly discourage anyone from meeting an online stranger in a remote area.”
In both instances, KCSO deputies responded to the emergency room at Kershaw MUSC Health after reports of patients being treated for gunshot wounds. The first report was of a female victim being shot around 6:28 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, somewhere near the intersection of Seegers Mill and Brewer Springs roads in Camden. The second report was of a male victim having been shot sometime around 1:44 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, on Knights Hill Road in Camden.
The similarities of the shootings include:
- Both victims were shot in the legs
- Both victims live outside of Kershaw County and told investigators they were meeting strangers they had connected with on dating apps
- Both victims were vague on the details
- No exact crime scenes were determined by investigators, both sites are relatively rural wooded areas
- No reports of "shots fired" calls were received by dispatch at the time of either shooting.
The female victim did recall a black, 4-door GMC pickup truck with three individuals inside driving past her location and firing about five shots at her and the person she was meeting, according to the incident report.
In his incident report, the male victim is noted as having been dropped off by an Uber at the Knights Hill Road location but otherwise "not very cooperative and was not making much sense" when describing his shooting.
KCSO is asking anyone with information regarding these two incidents to contact the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office at 803-425-1512 or 803-424-4000. You can also email any information to Investigations@kershaw.sc.gov.