When a pair of gun-toting men tried breaking into a South Carolina home last week, the also-armed homeowner quickly introduced himself to them. While one of the crooks got away, the other was found shot dead on the front porch.
What are the details?
The homeowner was inside his Madison Street home near Walterboro around 10 p.m. Sept. 14 when two armed men tried to break in, Walterboro Live reported.
Walterboro is a little over an hour west of Charleston; about 5,400 residents populate the city, according to the 2010 census.
One of the intruders fled from the scene in a dark-colored sedan, the outlet said — but the other crook wasn’t as fortunate, as authorities found him dead on the victim’s front porch.
When Colleton County sheriff’s deputies got to the scene, the “homeowner exited the home, unarmed, and confirmed he shot the man when he and another individual tried to break down his door,” Shalane Tindal, sheriff’s office spokeswoman, told Walterboro Live.
The suspect who escaped hadn’t been found as of the outlet’s press deadline, Walterboro Live said.
Who is the dead suspect?
The outlet said the deceased suspect was identified as 25-year-old Brandon McDonald-Sharmk, citing county coroner Richard Harvey, who confirmed McDonald-Sharmk died at the scene from a gunshot wound.
What happened to the homeowner?
Local authorities told Walterboro Live it’s unlikely that the homeowner will be charged; the outlet added that that homeowner’s identity hasn’t yet been released.
“The homeowner cooperated with detectives, citing the location of the used firearm and providing footage from a home security camera,” Tindal added to Walterboro Live in a statement, also noting that “detectives worked through the night to process the scene. This is still an active investigation and is believed to be an isolated incident.
Anything else?
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact its Criminal Investigations Division at 843-549-2211. Anonymous tips can be left via email at submit-a-tip@colletoncounty.org.