James Seidel 
Lancaster County Teen Shooting. Photo: LCSD
Six teens are charged in a fatal Lancaster County teen shooting that left 40-year-old Larisha Thompson dead. CC News investigates the violent crime and arrests.
LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Six individuals, including three juveniles, have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Larisha Thompson, a bystander who was gunned down in her car on the night of May 2, 2025. The incident occurred just before midnight along Riverside Road in Lancaster.
Deputies from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said Thompson was discovered behind the wheel of her Honda Accord, dead from a gunshot wound. According to the investigation, she had left her nearby home alone, headed toward Rock Hill, and was later found by family members who began searching for her after losing contact.
“This shooting defies any sense of decency in a civilized society,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “Ms. Thompson was going about her business on a Friday night, not bothering anyone.”
The arrests were announced on Monday, May 12. Asael Torres-Chirinos, 21; Jarby Ramos-Odari, 18; and Jeyson Pineda-Salgado, 17, and JJ Sosa were each charged as adults with murder, attempted armed robbery, and second-degree burglary. They remain in custody without bond.
Three juveniles, ages 15, 14, and 13, were also charged on Department of Juvenile Justice petitions with the same offenses. Their identities are being withheld due to their ages and the nature of juvenile proceedings.
Sheriff Faile added that all six individuals are subject to removal from the United States under federal immigration law due to their immigration status. “The Department of Homeland Security has placed detainers on these six,” Faile said. “That doesn’t mean the federal government will scoop them up and send them out of the country before their cases are heard in court.”
The investigation also tied the suspects to an attempted burglary at the Van Wyck Mart on Rock Hill Highway two days before the shooting. On April 30, deputies responded to the store after surveillance footage captured several individuals attempting to break in the previous night. While they failed to gain entry, the suspects damaged a bathroom door and fired a weapon, destroying a surveillance camera.
The Van Wyck Mart is located approximately 10 minutes from the scene of the fatal shooting. Ballistics evidence linked both crime scenes to a single 9mm handgun. Investigators also recovered digital evidence placing Torres-Chirinos at both locations.
On May 8, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Torres-Chirinos’ residence and seized the weapon. He was taken into custody that day, and by the end of the evening, the remaining five suspects had been identified and detained.
Deputies believe Thompson was targeted randomly in what was an attempted robbery. Evidence indicates all six suspects were inside Torres-Chirinos’ vehicle when he, seated in the front passenger seat and armed with the 9mm pistol, opened fire on Thompson’s car as it passed along Riverside Road.
Torres-Chirinos faces additional charges, including two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien.
This shooting leaves Lancaster County questioning the uptick in gun violence of late. This past March when a man called 911, claiming to have killed a woman and child at a residence on Mosteller Drive. Moments later, he was dead after exchanging gunfire with sheriff’s deputies. According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in shortly before 12:30 p.m. on March 9. Deputies responded to 542 Mosteller Drive, where they encountered an armed man standing in the yard. A shootout ensued, and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
A recent wave of gang-related violence in Lancaster County has culminated in the arrest of 16 individuals, following an extensive multi-agency investigation. The violence, which began with the fatal drive-by shooting of Jelani Jackson on Clinton Avenue on September 4th, spiraled into a series of retaliatory shootings across the area.
Authorities believe Jackson’s murder was gang-motivated, sparking a feud between rival groups. The resulting gun violence affected several neighborhoods, including Palmetto Place Apartments, Shelton Street, Foster Heights Drive, and Converse Street. Property damage was reported in the form of bullet-riddled vehicles, homes, and outbuildings. Additionally, one suspect suffered a gunshot wound to the hand during the spree.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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