RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — An inviting street, nearly each door down Turtle Stone Road has a welcome sign. But just over 24 hours ago, gun violence wreaked havoc in this Northeast Richland neighborhood.
Just one or two neighbors sharing with News 19 how terrifying it was. One young man we spoke with didn't want to show his face or share his name.
"Really caught me off guard. I thought it was fireworks at first. But then I remembered the last time and I heard the shotgun again. I was like, these are definitely the same shootings," he said.
He's referencing a similar shooting that happened in this same neighborhood just two months ago.
"Other people said it was the same car as last time , and then there was a new car this time as well. My sister woke up, I woke up, I was terrified to even leave my room," he said.
This young man telling News 19 that none of it makes sense.
"After that, all you hear is them skirting off, and then the police got here really fast, the ambulance got here really fast, thank God because of the little boy that got shot," he said.
According to the incident report from the Richland County Sheriff's Department, the responding deputy was in the area when they heard gunfire. When deputies arrived to the scene, they found a 9-year-old inside one of the homes hit by gunfire from outside the home. And when collecting evidence of multiple shell casings, deputies found another house, empty, that was shot at.
While it's still not known who is responsible, a local gun violence prevention coordinator with Midlands Be Smart, Sarah Venn, tells us stolen guns are more likely used in incidents like drive by shootings.
"Guns that are got from thefts are often used illegally, they're often used in crimes and things like that," Venn said.
Roberta McKelvin is the Midlands lead for a national organization called Every town Survivor Network. She wants folks who were impacted by gun violence in any way to know that they're not alone. The Midlands chapter focuses on peer connection programs.
"I do have some groups that I'm with now, so we would connect with each other, just talk to each other. If you need us there for anything, just go out to eat, cry together, go to court together," McKelvin said.
Other services like trauma informed care can be found on Everytown Survivor Network's website, here.
