ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Three people have been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting at a prom after-party shooting that the Orangeburg County sheriff said didn't harm more people only "by the grace of God."
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. on Saturday at a party at a home on Antioch Road where several Lake Marion High School students had gathered. The shooting left a 19-year-old dead and wounded a 17-year-old. The sheriff mentioned that others showed up at the hospital with unspecified injuries in relation to the incident as well.
When asked how there weren't more wounded, he said it was "by the grace of God."
"There was many, many shots that were fired," he said.
Since the shooting, the sheriff's office said it had been looking for people wanted in connection with the shooting. The sheriff said his office conducted an operation in the pre-dawn hours on Thursday to catch people connected to the shooting.
On Friday, Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced that deputies had made three arrests. Ravenell said the arrests included 19-year-old Deon Gaddist and 17-year-old Montrell White, who were charged with murder. An unnamed juvenile was also charged.
A spokesperson for the department said that, due to a 2019 change in state law, suspects who are at least 17 years old and charged with a Class D felony or higher are automatically charged as adults. Murder is considered a Class A felony.
Sheriff Ravenell said that the elements brought together at the party allowed the night to turn violent.
"When you put ingredients in a cake or ingredients in something that's not good, you're going to get something out of it that's not good," the sheriff said. "The ingredients in this was young kids, was alcohol, was thugs with guns, and a party."
As the investigation continues, Sheriff Ravenell said there will be more arrests and recommended that anyone involved in the night's events who wants to speak with him do so now.
"Find me before we find the evidence," he said. "Because we gonna find it."
He added that anyone who fired a gun that night would soon be found and arrested as well.
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