4 shootings in 3 weeks with no arrests. Jasper Co. deputies believe it’s all related
Since the year began, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has responded to a rash of shootings believed to be related, chief deputy Jeff Crosby said Monday.
Four shootings, all of which occurred in a section of unincorporated Ridgeland between Jan. 5 and Monday, are still under investigation. No arrests have been made, according to Crosby.
Two shootings occurred on Jan. 5 in the areas of Rice Shire and Bees Creek roads, where a residence was struck by gunfire.
A drive-by shooting on Jan. 17 on Grahamville Road damaged a vehicle in the driveway of a home.
Late Monday morning, an adult was shot in the leg near Henry Lawton Road, Crosby said. He said the adult was taken to Coastal Carolina Hospital with what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries.
Crosby said the Sheriff’s Office believes the shootings are related and possibly tied to gang activity that’s been an “ongoing situation for many years.”
The agency has increased enforcement efforts in the area. The latest two shootings occurred near I-95 Exit 21, which has a hub of fast food restaurants, gas stations and hotels.
Jasper County’s new sheriff, Donald Hipp, took office on Jan. 4, replacing one-term Sheriff Chris Malphus after a hotly contested election season. Hipp served in many capacities with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years before taking a job as an investigator in the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office in 2017.
During his campaign, Hipp said he wanted to “put more men on the streets” and have a more proactive policing approach, including educational and outreach programs.
“I want to make sure the citizens are in a place where they feel safe,” Hipp said in a May interview. “The people here need to know they have a voice and that we need to work together and not against one another.”
