March 19, 2014

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SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

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14 arrested in SHS fight

Sumter Police respond to Sumter High School about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday after a fight broke out in the school’s cafeteria.

Bond set for killing suspect’s 2 charges Hearing on murder charge will be held BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com (803) 774-1295

PHOTOS BY BRADEN BUNCH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter Police Department officers help school personnel deal with the large influx of parents rushing to the school to pick up their children after an early morning fight prompted rumors of a more serious situation. Police said there were no weapons involved in the incident.

No serious injuries; school put on lockdown BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Fourteen students at Sumter High School were arrested, and the school was placed on lockdown after a fight erupted in the cafeteria early Tuesday morning. No serious injuries were reported from the altercation that started about 8:30 a.m. as students were preparing for their first class, and high school administrators ended their lockdown within two hours. Sumter Police Department, which had at least a dozen officers respond to the school, said there were no weapons involved in the incident. Seven of the students arrested were at least 17 years old and will be charged as adults for disturbing a school, said Tonyia McGirt, public information officer for Sumter police. One school administrator and one police officer were also assaulted during the fight, and additional

Between 400 and 500 students were picked up by their parents after word of the fight spread through the community. charges are possible. Neither the administrator nor officer was seriously injured.

School was not dismissed for the day, and teachers attempted to continue with

class. However, despite the quick end to the melee, rumors quickly spread, including talk of gunplay. “Unfortunately, with social media, there are rumors, and today there are rumors that there may be a weapon involved,” said Shelly Galloway, spokeswoman for Sumter School District. These rumors prompted many parents to rush to the school to pick up their children. The quick influx of cars filled the drive to the school’s front entrance with double-parked vehicles, and the school’s auditorium quickly filled with parents waiting for their children to be removed from class. “Parents certainly have the right to check their children out of school, but we want them to know that the situation is under control. We contacted law enforcement immediately, and the situation was handled rather

SEE FIGHT, PAGE A10

A 31-year-old Rembert man facing a murder charge for a shooting at Club Miami on Sunday appeared before magistrate’s court Tuesday to discuss bond for two lesser charges. Rodney Rodriuguz Green faces the additional charges of attempted murder and possession of a weapon INSIDE during a violent crime Mother of child after offikilled in wreck cers arrestoutside Club ed him outMiami is angry side the with club owner’s Broad comments / A2 Street Extension club as a suspect in the shooting death of 33-year-old Tyrus Archie of Wedgefield. Officers think Green is also responsible for the shooting of 26-year-old Rayquann Mondell Jenkins, who was airlifted to a hospital in Columbia after being shot in the left leg outside the club. Green’s bond was set at $30,000 total for the attempted murder and weapon charge. Green will have to appear before a circuit court judge for a bond hearing on the murder charge to discuss it, according to Judge George Gibson. Until then, Green will continue to be held at Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center. Victim’s Advocate Barbara Wiley with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said Jenkins underwent surgery Monday and is now recovering at a hospital in Columbia. Wiley represented family members of both Archie and Jenkins who were present during the bond hearing. The shooting was the latest in a series of incidents at Club Miami, triggering Sheriff Anthony Dennis to call for the nightclub to be closed. On Tuesday, department officials met with the S.C. Department of Revenue to discuss revoking the club’s alcohol and business license. “We’re currently seeing which angle we can go in

SEE BOND, PAGE A10

Alleged weapon yields no clues in murder trial BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com (803) 774-1211 After a three-day break, a parade of witnesses attempted to advance the prosecu-

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tion’s case against Justin Johnson in his trial for the killings of nine-month-old Jayden Caraway and greatgrandmother Maxine Caraway. The trial resumed Tuesday with a newly elected jury

foreman after the original foreman fell ill and was unable to return. Kenny Clark, a senior investigator, told the jury he followed shooting victim Kaisha Caraway to Clarendon Memo-

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Gilbert Franklin Susan C. Smith Mike Windham Emma D. Moore Merdell Montgomery Johnnie Mae Harriott Dorothy H. Parrott

rial Hospital after the incident. He said he observed and photographed bruises on her shoulder, neck and forehead and performed a gunshot residue test on and took DNA swabs from Caraway. Doctors

also removed a pellet from her shoulder. Clark said he also collected Caraway’s clothes and shoes, which appeared to have blood on them.

SEE TRIAL, PAGE A8

WEATHER, A10

INSIDE

A LITTLE WARMER

3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES VOL. 119, NO. 131

Mostly cloudy today; clouds breaking tonight HIGH 67, LOW 50

Classifieds B7 Comics C6 Food C8 Lotteries A10

Opinion A9 Panorama C1 Television C7


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March 19, 2014 by The Sumter Item - Issuu