RCSD: Two 17-year-olds charged with the murder of an A.C. Flora student last week

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says they arrested two 17-year-olds and charged them with the murder of an A.C. Flora student last week. Sheriff Leon Lott says D’Mari Flannigan and Javienn Coates will be charged as adults in the murder of 18-year-old John C. Kelly.

Just before 6 p.m. on May 27, deputies say they were called to the 1000 block of Frasier Street for reports of a suspicious vehicle. Once on the scene, deputies say they saw a vehicle with multiple bullet holes in the driver’s side door and an unresponsive man in the driver’s seat. Authorities say the Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Sheriff Lott, Kelly was shot inside his vehicle on Walcott Street before one of the suspects sat on top of Kelly’s body and drove the car to the location it was found on Frasier Street.

Deputies say they were able to make the arrests because a cell phone was left behind in the vehicle.

Sheriff Lott says Kelly, Flannigan and Coates were all involved in illegal activity.