2 Beaufort teens dead after shooting, vehicle crash in Beaufort area Wednesday night
Two teenagers were killed in a fiery crash Wednesday night while driving to the hospital after their car was struck by gunfire at a busy Beaufort-area intersection. No suspects had been arrested as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies received a report of gunfire around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday from the intersection of Parris Island Gateway and Trask Parkway in Burton. A few minutes later, police were informed of a vehicle fire in the 800 block of Ribaut Road, located about three miles away.
Investigators concluded the vehicle crashed and caught fire on its way to Beaufort Memorial Hospital after the shooting. The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office identified the two victims as Beaufort residents Ashi Mitchell and DaRhon Brooks, both 18. The car’s third occupant was hospitalized, the sheriff’s office said.
Autopsies for the two victims are scheduled for Thursday.
Beaufort County traffic camera footage captured deputies placing at least a dozen evidence placards within the intersection Wednesday night. The yellow markers are used to label the locations of shell casings at crime scenes.
Staff Sgt. Bob Herlong, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, would not say if police believed the shots were fired from the side of the road or from another vehicle.
Wednesday’s shooting was the third reported occurrence of cars being targeted by gunfire in Beaufort County in less than a week. Three suspects had been charged in connection with the two prior non-fatal incidents, one of which is believed to have originated from a road rage dispute.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact SSgt. Tunis at 843-255-3426. Tips can be submitted anonymously via the P3 Tips app or by calling Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County at 844-847-7238.
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 1:12 PM.
