Boys ages 8 and 9 have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 62-year-old man in South Carolina.
Boys ages 8 and 9 charged in shooting death of 62-year-old man
The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 30, when law enforcement officers went to an area northwest of Westminster, South Carolina, after receiving a call from the man’s wife stating that she had gone to the property to look for her husband but, unable to go, had been unable to contact him and was still unable to locate him.
When sheriff’s deputies went to the scene, they were finally able to locate 62-year-old Danny Andrew Smith, who was unresponsive as he was slumped over the steering wheel of his tractor, which was still running but had fallen down an embankment before hitting a tree.
Troopers announced that a petition had been filed in Family Court charging two children under the age of 10 with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Smith’s shooting death.
“Based on evidence obtained in our ongoing investigation, we believe that both juveniles recklessly discharged a firearm in the direction of Mr.
Smith,” said Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw.
Evidence obtained during the investigation and autopsy, authorities determined that Smith had suffered a single gunshot wound to the back that ultimately killed him.
In South Carolina, children under the age of 10 cannot be detained, so both juvenile suspects have been placed in the custody of their parents while court proceedings continue.
“The sheriff’s office continues to investigate and, because of this, no information identifying the juveniles in this case will be released,” the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said.
The weapon allegedly used in the shooting, a .22 caliber rifle, has been recovered and examined by the SLED forensics lab in Columbia, South Carolina.
