RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Hours after authorities announced new arrests in connection to a park shooting that wounded several teens in Richland County in April, a judge has denied bond for one of the first to have faced charges in the case.
Just before 5 p.m. on Friday, Judge Daniel Coble denied bond for Christopher Pearson Jr. in connection with a shooting at Meadowlake Park on April 29. Sheriff Leon Lott announced Pearson's arrest on May 19 after he was seen on video holding a shotgun with an extended magazine telling others to return to the scene and come armed.
The incident left 11 people between the ages of 16 and 20 hurt - nine of whom were wounded by gunfire. The injuries led to 11 counts of attempted murder being filed against Pearson and two juveniles arrested around the same time.
Pearson had last appeared in court on Wednesday. There, prosecutors asked the judge to deny any bond while his attorney, Todd Rutherford, asked for a $50,000 bond and no contact with the victims or the victims' families. Rutherford said Pearson was home during the shootings and has a clean criminal record.
On Friday afternoon, Judge Coble denied the bond while allowing the defense counsel to file a written motion for bond.
Hours earlier, the Richland County Sheriff's Department announced two other arrests in the case. Sheriff Lott, in a statement, confirmed the arrests of 21-year-old Sincere Boatwright and 19-year-old Mayar Kual on 11 counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The sheriff vowed anyone who fired a gun that night would be arrested.
Anyone with additional information about the incident or the suspects is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or CrimeSC.com.