LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A 15-year-old charged in connection with a shooting inside a Lancaster County Walmart will stay behind bars. The teen is one of half a dozen people who are facing charges in the case.
In court, police said the incident was a spontaneous act, meaning they do not believe the six teens involved went into the Walmart to cause trouble. However, they did state that all parties involved are affiliated with a gang.
According to police, the 15-year-old who was in court on Wednesday was at the store with his sister and girlfriend to buy fishing tools.
On the stand, a Lancaster Police Captain, Nelson Bowling, explained how events that were captured on surveillance footage unfolded. He said the group of teens approached each other from opposite directions on an aisle in the automotive section.
After one group made eye contact with the other, the 15-year-old punched another male, which caused a fight to ensue. That is when three of the suspects, including the 15-year-old, pulled out their guns and started shooting at each other.
Bowling went on to explain that the 15-year-old spoke with detectives the night of the shooting and admitted his involvement.
However, the 15-year-old’s attorney argued that the older teens involved in this incident were the aggressors. His mother echoed this sentiment and shared that there’s history between her son and the other teens who were involved.
“I have a police record of where these young boys have come by my house and shot my house 16 times,” she explained. “My kids are not bad kids; they are not bad kids.”
The judge then ordered an evaluation for the 15-year-old to potentially be charged as an adult. He is facing multiple charges, including two counts of attempted murder.
VIDEO: 3rd suspect arrested in Walmart shooting
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