1-year-old, mom killed in ‘gang-related’ shooting. Armed & dangerous suspects at large
A 1-year-old and his mother were killed Tuesday night in a Midlands-area shooting, the Aiken County Coroner’s Office said.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office called the deaths “gang related,” and asked for the community’s help in its search for three suspects it considers armed and dangerous.
It was after 11 p.m. when law enforcement responded to calls about a shooting on Kalmia Apartment Drive, Coroner Darryl Ables said in a news release. That is about 60 miles southwest of Columbia.
Responding deputies found Mel’lisha Jackson and her son Elijah Jackson had been shot in their apartment, according to the release.
The 26-year-old Graniteville woman was unresponsive and died at the scene after suffering at least one gunshot wound, Ables said.
The baby was also shot at least once and was taken to a hospital in Augusta where Elijah died, the coroner’s office said.
Autopsies for the mother and son have been scheduled for Friday in Newberry, according to the release.
The sheriff’s office said the shooting was “gang related,” but Jackson and her baby “were not the intended targets.”
Three suspects fled the area before deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office described the suspects as “black males,” each between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-11 in height.
Further information on the suspects was unavailable, and the sheriff’s office is asking the public for help to identify the suspects and provide information that would lead to their arrests.
“We are asking citizens to not approach these suspects and to alert law enforcement if you have any information,” the sheriff’s office said.
Witnesses said they heard numerous gunshots in the rear of the apartment, the sheriff’s office said.
There is no word on what prompted the shooting, but the deaths remain under investigation by the sheriff’s office.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911, the sheriff’s office at 803-648-6811, or report it to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 7:17 AM with the headline "1-year-old, mom killed in ‘gang-related’ shooting. Armed & dangerous suspects at large."
