KERSHAW, S.C. — Four people have been arrested for the death of a 15-year-old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting at a relative's apartment.
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office said on Thursday that Antonio Gary Johnson, 20, two 16-year-old males, and a 15-year-old male were in custody for the shooting death of Jashawna Coleman, 15. Investigators used surveillance video to track down the suspects.
Deputies were first called to the Foxwood apartment complex on Country Club Road in Kershaw around 1 a.m. on Sunday for reports of shots fired. Residents of the complex told authorities they heard shots fired and that a car sped away at the time of the gunshots. Deputies located possible damage to an air conditioning unit from the incident, but no injuries or additional damage was found.
Deputies were called back to the complex around 7:05 a.m. on Sunday after Coleman's aunt found her on the couch with a gunshot wound. Lancaster County EMS pronounced the teen dead at the scene, according to deputies.
Coleman was visiting relatives at the time of the incident, deputies said. Other adults and children in the home were not injured.
Investigators believe Coleman was hit by a bullet that entered the apartment through an exterior wall during the shooting that was reported just before 1 a.m. There is no evidence that a second shooting occurred at the complex.
After the shooting, investigators gathered surveillance video to attempt to track down the suspects. They witnessed gunfire coming from a Nissan Altima near the apartments and worked to identify the car.
Deputies learned the car belonged to a woman on Day Street and tracked down the vehicle's location. Investigators conducted a search of the home where the Nissan was found and confiscated the vehicle. Search warrants were executed on other homes in the area as well where multiple weapons were found and confiscated for examination.
Using this evidence, investigators connected Johnson to the crime and arrested him at one of the residences. Johnson is charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Johnson is being held at the Lancaster County Detention Center.
The 15-year-old was arrested at the same location and given the same charges. He is being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in Columbia.
One of the 16-year-olds was found and arrested in Camden, S.C. The other 16-year-old turned himself in on Wednesday with a parent present. Both are also facing the same charges as Johnson and will be transported to the DJJ.
Each of the teens will appear before a family court judge to determine whether they will remain in custody. Other court officials will determine if the teens will face charges as adults.
Barry Faile, Lancaster County Sheriff, described Coleman's death as a senseless tragedy and said she was completely innocent. Coleman was a student at Lancaster High School.
This case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office at (803) 283-3388.