Two South Carolina boys, ages 8 and 9, charged with involuntary manslaughter

by KRISTY KEPLEY-STEWARD

OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WLOS) — Two young boys, ages 8-years-old and 9-years-old, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 62-year-old man in South Carolina.

Authorities say on Wednesday, June 30, deputies with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office responded to an area just northwest of Westminster, South Carolina, after receiving a call from the man’s wife saying she went to the property to look for her husband after not being able to make contact with him and still could not locate him.

Deputies arrived and were able to find the man, 62-year-old Danny Andrew Smith. Smith was unresponsive and slumped over the steering wheel of his tractor, which was still running but had gone down an embankment before striking a tree.

Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, and from the autopsy, it was determined that Mr. Smith had sustained a single gunshot wound to the back.

“After a consultation with the Solicitor’s Office, and based on the evidence obtained in our ongoing investigation, we believe that both juvenile males discharged a firearm in a reckless manner in the direction of Mr. Smith who was bush hogging on some family property,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw.

In South Carolina, juveniles under the age of 10 cannot be detained, so both of the suspects have been remanded to the custody of their parents as the judicial proceedings continue, according to Sheriff Crenshaw.

“At this time, it is still undetermined which shot ultimately struck and killed Mr. Smith. However, based upon South Carolina law, the hand of one is the hand of all and that is why Family Court has been petitioned in regards to charging both juveniles with Involuntary Manslaughter.”

The weapon that was allegedly used in the shooting, a .22 caliber rifle, has been recovered and examined by the SLED forensics lab in Columbia, South Carolina.

It is not currently clear which boy pulled the trigger that killed Smith, but the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.