A 33-year-old man told a judge that he shot and killed a man inside a South Carolina Walmart store because a third individual wronged him. The admission was made during a July 6 bond hearing when the victim’s father asked the man why he had killed his son. The man was denied bond and is being detained at the Greenville County Detention Center.
According to media reports, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Walmart store located on White Horse Road in Berea at approximately 1:30 p.m. on July 5. When they arrived at the scene, deputies say that they discovered a man near the store’s entrance who had been shot multiple times in the head and torso. Bystanders are said to have told deputies that two men who appeared to know one another were involved in a dispute before the shooting started.
The Walmart store was temporarily closed and shoppers were asked to leave as deputies conducted an investigation. Deputies say that their inquiries quickly identified the shooter. The man has been charged with homicide and possessing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Reporters covering the shooting saw deputies involved in a scuffle with a man outside a nearby restaurant and a Chevrolet sedan being processed and towed away, but it was not immediately clear if the incidents were connected.
Experienced criminal defense attorneys may advise their clients to keep their emotions in check and avoid courtroom outbursts that could provide evidence to prosecutors. Admissions may also make obtaining a favorable plea agreement more difficult.