Deputies investigate fatal shooting near Lake City

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deadly home invasion in lower Florence County. It marks the second home invasion case in the county in three days.

The shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at a 317 Plantation Drive residence outside Lake City, Sheriff Kenney Boone said. Four men walked up to the door and fired shots into residence.

A man who was inside fired shots back, hitting and killing one of the intruders, Boone said.

The dead man has been identified as 23-year-old Shawn Singletary of 532 Shantay Lane in Lake City, Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews said.

Investigators are still looking for the three other suspects, Boone said.

It’s not clear whether the man inside the home will face any criminal charges in connection with the shooting, Boone said, and the investigation is continuing.

Meranwhile, deputies said they think a black four-door Pontiac G6 is linked to a home invasion that happened Sunday afternoon. The suspects in the crime remain at large.

Three men knocked on the door of a Maxwell Street home about 1 p.m. and asked to speak to “Dante,” according to the sheriff’s office. The homeowner said he knew no one by that name and closed the door, and the men blew the doorknob off with a shotgun and fired at the door of the bedroom where the homeowner and his wife were hiding.

No one was harmed, but a purse was stolen, according to the sheriff’s office.

Florence police located the suspects’ vehicle on North Irby Street. The suspects, however, threw the shotgun from the vehicle on Dargan Street, which was seized as evidence.

Anyone with details about either of these crimes is asked to call the sheriff’s office (843) 665-2121 or CrimeStoppers of the Pee Dee at (888) CRIME SC (274-6372).

In neighboring Darlington County, there have been at least eight home invasions since May.

Hartsville police also are investigating a home invasion that took place about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Two men kicked in the door of a home on Campbell Street and robbed a woman at gunpoint, Hartsville Police Chief Tim Kemp said.

The investigation of the case is ongoing, Kemp said, and anyone with information about it is asked to call the police department at (843) 383-3013, Darlington County E-911 Dispatch at (843) 398-4920 or CrimeStoppers.

The Darlington County Sheriff’s Office still is investigating a home invasion that happened about 2:15 a.m. Friday at a residence on East Lynches River Road near Lamar. The incident is believed to be drug-related, according to a sheriff’s office press release.

The two residents were awakened when someone broke in and came into the bedroom where they were sleeping. The suspect demanded money owed him, then fired several shots, striking the male resident in this lower extremities, according to the release. The female resident wasn’t injured.

Darlington County deputies and emergency medical personnel were called to the scene and took the shooting victim to an area hospital for treatment. The victims know the suspect, but no arrest has been made yet

Four men were arrested in connection with a Dec. 4 home invasion on Lide Springs Road. The week before, two men were arrested after deputies said they robbed several people inside a Hartsville home Nov. 15.

Another incident happened the night of Sept. 28 on Longleaf Drive near Darlington. No arrests have been made in connection with that case.

Earlier in September, four Hartsville residents were arrested on drug charges after deputies responded to a reported home invasion near Hartsville.

Darlington County sheriff’s investigators have said they think there’s a link between two home invasions reported in May, one of which led to the shooting of a 66-year-old man.

The first incident happened early the morning of May 3 in the Clyde community. After the second incident, which happened early the morning of May 4 on D Street near Hartsville, a resident was found lying on his front porch after being shot. Several bullets from a large-caliber weapon had struck his home, and a 1984 Lincoln Continental not belonging to the victim was left at the residence with the motor still running.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (843) 398-4501; Darlington County E-911 Disptach or Crime Stoppers.