Sumter man, fiancée arrested after shooting claims woman, injures sister

A Sumter man and his fiancée have been accused of murder after a shooting Friday left a woman dead and her sister in critical condition.

Joyce Ann Bennett, 57, of Manning, was found dead inside her sister’s former apartment on Friday, according to the Sumter Police Department. The sister, Lorraine Doretha Bennett, 58, was severely injured and was transported to a Columbia hospital. She remained there as of Saturday night.

Police responded to a disturbance call at a Chestnut Pointe apartment on Roxbury Court after 8:15 p.m. Friday, a news release from the police department said.

According to the release, police reported Mustafa Abdur Salaam, 51, of George Washington Boulevard in Sumter, was in a relationship with Lorraine Bennett, who recently moved from Sumter to Manning. Reports indicate Salaam and his fiancée, France Pascale Metellus, 46, of Douglas, Georgia, went to Lorraine Bennett’s former home, an argument ensured, and shots were fired.

After the shooting, the suspects left in separate vehicles but were later located by police.

Salaam and Metellus are both charged with murder and attempted murder. Salaam is also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime. They are being held at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.

The Sumter County Coroner’s Office has notified family members of the incident and scheduled an autopsy for the deceased sister.

The investigation is continuing.