LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Two brothers have been arrested and face charges tied to a Tuesday evening shooting near Lancaster.
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office said it happened around 5 p.m. along Memorial Drive. First responders found a 19-year-old man with gunshot wounds in his front yard. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.
Deputies said witnesses gave them details about the reported shooter, telling them the shooter ran off after firing a handgun several times. The witnesses also gave information about a car, prompting deputies to patrol the area.
Later in the night, the sheriff's office said a black Ford Taurus matching witnesses' descriptions was spotted on McIlwain Road. A traffic stop was attempted, but the driver - identified as 20-year-old O'Mari Lamon Frazier of Lancaster - kept driving before finally stopping on Florence Circle. Frazier remained in the car and was taken into custody, but three other males jumped out of the car and ran.
Deputies then set up a perimeter to close in on the remaining three suspects. With the help of a K-9 unit from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the sheriff's office found Frazier's younger brother: 18-year-old Vernon Jamon Frazier Jr. of Rock Hill. He was then taken into custody and confirmed to be one of the three males who ran from the traffic stop.
The younger brother, who reportedly gave deputies false information about his identity at first, is the alleged shooter.
Vernon Frazier Jr. is now charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and giving false information to law enforcement. O'Mari Frazier is charged with failure to stop for blue light and siren. Neither have appeared before a magistrate for bond as of publication and both remain in custody in the Lancaster County Detention Center.
The other two males who ran from the Taurus have still not been identified or taken into custody, nor have they been charged with any crimes. The sheriff's office notes the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests and charges could be possible.
“This shooting was not random,” said Sheriff Barry Faile in a statement Wednesday. “The victim and the shooter know each other, and we believe the shooting stemmed from prior difficulties between the two. We do not think residents in the area are in danger. Our response to this shooting was swift, and we covered the area with lots of personnel into the night until we found the Taurus and made these two arrests. I appreciate the help we got from DNR. We also had a lot of help from witnesses who cooperated and provided good information. I encourage anyone else who saw or heard something to contact us so we can complete this investigation and make appropriate charges against others who might have been involved.”
Anyone who can provide more information should call the sheriff's office at (803) 283-3388 and pick option 4 when prompted. Tips are also accepted online via a tip form or by using the P3Tips app for iOS and Android devices. Tips can be made anonymously.
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