2 men face murder after teen gunned down in drive-by shooting near Rock Hill
Two men have been arrested on murder charges after a teen died in a drive-by shooting in Chester, South Carolina authorities said.
A woman also has been arrested after helping one of the shooters flee to the Charlotte area before he was caught, according to the State Law Enforcement Division.
John-David Estes, 21, and Quentin Javor Craig Jr., 24, each are accused of firing shots when 16-year-old Avery O’Brien West died on Pinckney Street on May 3, according to SLED arrest warrants.
Another teen, 17, whose name has not been released, was wounded.
The two suspects from Chester County also face attempted murder charges from the gunfire west of downtown Chester.
The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. in the small city of around 5,000 people located south of Rock Hill. Officials have not said what they believe led to the shooting.
Both men’s involvement while in a 2014 Ford Focus “was confirmed by surveillance footage,” according to arrest warrants.
Estes admitted involvement to police when he was arrested, then told officers about Craig being part of the shooting, according to the warrants.
A woman, Kenyetta Adrryll Sims, 53, of Chester, faces charges of accessory after the fact to a felony, warrants show. She is accused of helping Craig by helping him get to Pineville, N.C., then finding him a place to stay in North Carolina before he was caught, police said in the warrants.
Although the city of Chester has a police department and Chester County has a sheriff’s office, SLED was asked to lead the murder investigation with assistance from city police and deputies. The investigation remains ongoing, SLED spokesperson Renee Wunderlich told The Herald Tuesday evening.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 6:40 PM with the headline "2 men face murder after teen gunned down in drive-by shooting near Rock Hill."
