Sumter police seek help in finding 2 suspects in shooting incident
Two more men are wanted in connection to a Sept. 8 fatal shooting at the Hop In (Sunoco) convenience store on Broad Street that killed two and injured three.
According to Tonyia McGirt, public information officer for the Sumter Police Department, a cash reward may be available for information leading to the arrests of Sheldon Benjamin, 22, and Jay McBride, 25, both of Mayesville.
The two men are wanted for attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and unlawful carry of a pistol in connection to the Sept. 8 shooting.
Two men in their 20s have already been charged with murder stemming from the 1 a.m. incident that left two 30-year-olds dead as a result of what police are saying was a gang-related dispute. One of them was one of the three who were injured in the shooting.
In addition to these four suspects, five other men who were at the scene have been identified and arrested on unlawful carry of a firearm charges as well as unrelated outstanding warrants.
Officers are still also searching for Keyonte Markees McGee, 27, of Camellia Street, who has been identified as being at the scene and is also wanted on an unrelated family court bench warrant.
Gang-related incidents have been in headlines more this summer than normal, and there have already been 11 homicides this year so far compared to eight total in 2018, according to the Sumter County Coroner's Office. Nine have occurred since July 12.
Not all of those deaths are connected, but the uptick has prompted community groups to gather and discuss solutions and is being attributed to a 4,000-person decrease in attendance at the Sumter American Legion Fair last month.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of either Benjamin, McBride and/or McGee is asked to call the Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700. Information can be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-888-CRIME-SC (1-888-274-6372). You can also visit www.P3tips.com and click on the "Submit a New Tip" tab or download the P3 Tips app to your Apple or Android devices.