Table of Contents

Gun Violence Rages in SC as 4 Teens are Charged with Murder in Richland County

By James Seidel, CC News Network

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Gun violence rages as four teenagers have been charged with murder and other crimes in connection with a deadly Jan. 28 shooting that claimed the life of a 23‑year‑old man and left a woman critically injured, authorities said.

Deputies responded at about 9:30 p.m. to a call on the 1000 block of Miles Bowman Road. When officers arrived, they found the man fatally shot in the front passenger seat of a vehicle and a woman outside suffering a gunshot wound to her upper body. The woman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Investigators determined that four shooters fired more than 70 rounds into the vehicle following a fight between the suspects and the victim. In the course of their investigation, deputies identified two victims as 19‑year‑old Peyton Kirby and a 15‑year‑old whose name was withheld because of age.

Suspects Arrested

Two suspects were arrested on Jan. 29 and charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A 17‑year‑old suspect, Jackson Layne, was taken into custody in northeast Richland County on Jan. 31 on similar charges. A fourth suspect, a 16‑year‑old, was arrested on Feb. 7 and faces the same charges. A fifth person, also 16, was later arrested and charged with obstruction in connection with the murder.

Sheriff Leon Lott said his department’s investigators will continue to pursue every lead. “Our investigators will continue to solve every murder in Richland County, but it takes our whole community to stand up against this violence in the first place,” he said.

Gun Violence in South Carolina Continues

This incident comes amid a broader gun violence crisis in South Carolina and across the nation. According to FBI Uniform Crime Report data, South Carolina recorded 144 firearm-related homicides in 2022—a 12% increase from the previous year. In addition, data from the Gun Violence Archive indicate that more than 600 gun-related incidents occurred statewide during the same period.

Based on the most recent data, South Carolina ranks 8th among the top 20 states for gun violence. Other states on the list include Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Tennessee, Montana, New Mexico, Kentucky, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and Colorado. Notably, 15 of these states are led by Republican governors, a factor that some analysts say reflects differing legislative approaches to gun control and regulation.

In a related development, South Carolina’s gun laws underwent a significant change on March 7, 2024, when Governor Henry McMaster signed H. 3594 into law. The new “constitutional carry” law allows South Carolinians who are legally allowed to own a firearm to carry it openly or concealed without a permit. The law restricts firearm carry in sensitive locations, such as courthouses and police departments, and maintains federal background checks for purchases. While proponents argue the law upholds Second Amendment rights, critics warn it could lead to increased gun violence and accidents without mandatory training.

National discussions about gun violence also highlight the complex nature of the issue in urban centers. For example, while Chicago—a city of approximately 2.7 million—recorded about 800 gun-related homicides in a recent year at a per capita rate of 29.63 per 100,000 people, St. Louis, Missouri—a city of roughly 300,000—saw 200 gun-related homicides, translating to a per capita rate of 66.67 per 100,000. This comparison underscores that absolute numbers can be misleading when assessing the severity of gun violence relative to population size.

As law enforcement and community leaders grapple with these challenges, the Richland County shooting is a stark reminder of the broader national debate over gun rights and public safety. The impact of South Carolina’s new open carry law on statewide crime rates remains to be seen.

The investigation in Richland County is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Stay tuned to CC News Network for more updates on this developing story and our in-depth coverage of gun violence across the nation.