Man wanted in killing of 2 women in Beaufort Co. is found in New York City, police say
A man who has been wanted in Beaufort County since December for allegedly shooting and killing two people after a dispute broke out at a party was found by police Wednesday in New York, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office alert.
Dionte Mitchell, 21, of Seabrook, was wanted by police on two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime following the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of two women — Flora Mae Gantt, 74, of Walterboro, and Shaina Mulligan, 30, of Beaufort.
Mitchell was found by U.S. marshals in Queens, New York, where he awaits extradition after a months-long search, police said in the alert.
At around 11 p.m. on Dec. 4, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office were called to a home on Detour Road where a party was taking place after receiving a call about shots fired. When police arrived, they found two women had been shot. Gantt was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Mulligan died while being transported to the hospital, according to the alert.
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When deputies were speaking with other people at the party they learned that one of the people involved, identified later as Mitchell, had left. Mitchell spoke with investigators afterward to explain his account of the shooting, and was not immediately charged, according to previous reporting by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
Afterward, he could not be located by police. No additional charges are being sought at this time, according to Maj. Bob Bromage, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.
In the weeks following their deaths, the women’s families honored and remembered them for their loyalty and support of others.
“If she loved you, she had your back,” Eugene Tolbert, a speaker at Mulligan’s graveside celebration of life ceremony said on Dec. 11. “That girl was there for anybody, her loyalty ran deep. ... I miss you, Shaina, I miss you so much.”
Speaking to her mother’s genial and friendly disposition, Gantt’s daughter, Regina Gantt, said she was a “lover, not a fighter.”
“My mom was a sweet lady, always helping others and the community,” Gantt said. “She was into the church. She made it her best to be there for others.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 4:41 PM.
