ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A 14-year-old is dead, and another is injured after a deadly shooting in Orangeburg.
On Nov. 15, officers from the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety responded to a call about shots fired near the intersection of Wheeler Street and Nottingham Street. Upon arrival, officers say they observed a white car speeding away from the scene and several people fleeing on foot. Canine units were deployed, and shell casings were found on the ground near the area.
Two teenage victims were transported to the hospital. One of them did not survive. The Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office later identified the deceased victim as 14-year-old Zaquan Corbett Jr.
According to the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, three minors involved in the shooting were known to each other. At this time, a motive for the incident has not been determined.
Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Chief Charles Austin expressed concern over the weapons involved in the shooting.
"One of the concerns about this incident is that we had AR and AK level assault weapons involved," Austin said. "And certainly, we would expect that parents would know if their children have that kind of weaponry accessible to them."
While the investigation is ongoing, authorities have arrested one person in connection with the shooting, who is currently being questioned. No formal charges have been filed yet.
Chief Austin also spoke to the increasing frequency of violent crimes, particularly involving firearms and minors.
“Well, this level of incident should really resonate with all of us, because it happens all too frequently, not just in the City of Orangeburg, but across this country," Austin said. "We noticed that there's an uptick in the level of violent crimes, particularly gun violence, and especially concerning that it involves young people, minors. So, we should all take notice of that and that should be kind of our call, our clarion call to bring our resources together and, and each of us accept a commitment, a level of commitment to do what we can from our respective roles to do what we can to address the problem."
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact CrimeStoppers anonymously at 1-888-CRIME-SC.