Burton man accused of attempted murder of 2. He was protecting his family, his mom said
A Burton man was arrested on charges of attempted murder in a shooting that left two men injured in Burton on May 6. Police say the shooter drove off before police arrived. He was caught three days later.
William Labar, 22, was arrested at a residence in Grays Hill and charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
According to a report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, police responded to a call of a shooting on Parris Island Gateway at 9:40 p.m. Two men were injured, according to the report. One man was shot in the head and taken to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston; the second was taken to Beaufort County Memorial Hospital to treat leg injuries. There is no mention in the report of weapons being found at the scene.
If convicted, Labar could face up to 30 years for each attempted murder charge and five years for the weapons charge.
His mother says there is more to the story.
“The news is being so one-sided,” said Labar’s mother, Ina Ryan. “They’re not saying it how it happened. They’re making it seem like he’s some monstrous murderer who shot these people for no reason.”
Labar was fixing a flat tire when he was approached by a man allegedly attempting to rob him, his mother said. Ryan, who was not present at the shooting, said Labar’s pregnant girlfriend and her two children were with him at the time.
Her son brandished his gun to scare off the man, Ryan said, and continued working to fix the flat tire. According to Ryan, the man returned with three others, threatening to shoot at the vehicle, and that is when Labar fired his gun.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Major Bob Bromage said the case is an open investigation, and it would be inappropriate to comment.
“We present facts gathered from investigations to a magistrate to issue warrants based on probable cause,” Bromage said.
According to Ryan, Labar has a court date at the end of the month.
“He was trying to make something of his life,” Ryan said. “All he has wanted is to see that baby boy, and he has done everything in his life to make sure he can be there for his son.”
Ryan said her son, his girlfriend and two young children have been forced to move because shots were fired at their mobile home 24 hours after the shooting.
“They are actively trying to kill a pregnant woman and her two kids,” she said.
This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 11:51 AM.
