LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. – A South Carolina girl is dead and another is recovering from her injuries after gunfire erupted in a Batesburg-Leesville neighborhood, authorities said.
According to WOLO and WLTX, the deadly shooting occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on Madera Road. Lexington County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of several shots fired and arrived to find Tashya Michelle Jay, 11, dead from a bullet wound, Coroner Margaret Fisher said. Another girl, whose age was not released, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to recover, authorities said.
“There were a lot of people on scene as there was a party happening near the home where the two girls were shot,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in a statement. “Batesburg-Leesville officers helped us secure the scene so we could start collecting evidence.”
The shooting, which investigators believe was gang-related, also damaged “multiple mobile homes and vehicles,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Authorities are still trying to determine who fired the fatal shots, the release said. To submit a tip, call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
