17-year-old charged in fatal Sumter shooting
Teen turned himself in Friday after Thursday shooting
Police have charged a 17-year-old Sumter resident following the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old that occurred on Thursday at a local home.
Darius Therald Funchess-McClam was charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor after turning himself in to law enforcement Friday afternoon, according to a Sumter Police Department news release.
Funchess-McClam remains in Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, pending a bond hearing.
On Thursday, police officers responded to the 500 block of South Lafayette Drive just after 2 p.m. to reports of a person being shot. When they arrived, they found Nyquan Jamel Samuels, also of Sumter, with a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to Barron Hite, a public information officer for the department. Samuels was airlifted to Prisma Health Richland, where he died later that day.
Based on information gathered, police detectives have determined the shooting to be accidental, according to the release.
An investigation is continuing, and more charges may be forthcoming.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department at (803) 436-2700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. A cash reward may be available for information leading to an arrest.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers by logging onto www.P3tips.com and clicking on “Submit a New Tip” tab or by downloading the new P3 Tips app for smartphones.