Handgun found in the Pinecrest neighborhood days after Cherol was killed
Five days after Johnathan Cherol was shot to death on the porch of his 39 Pinecrest Way home, a 9mm handgun was found in the same neighborhood by a resident, according to a Bluffton Police Department report.
Bluffton police would not say Thursday if the gun was connected to Cherol's death.
The resident reported finding the Hi-Point pistol to the department around 2:50 p.m. Nov. 2, the report said. The weapon was found behind the man's home in a black Nike bag. The bag also contained a wet sweater, the report said.
The resident also told police his neighbors had contacted them Oct. 30 and 31 when they saw people walking behind their residence.
The exact address where the gun was located was redacted from the report.
Police found Cherol with a single gunshot wound to the head around 12:45 a.m. Oct. 28 after two 911 calls made from his residence reported at least two gunshots were heard before Cherol was struck once in the head.
Since the shooting, police have remain tight-lipped about the investigation beyond saying they believe Cherol's death was the result of a "targeted attack" rather than a random one.
Cherol was involved in the local restaurant scene and was a co-owner of the recently closed Pepper's Old Town in Bluffton.
The May River Road restaurant had opened in early 2015 as a revamp of the original Pepper's Porch, replacing another restaurant that was also co-owned by Cherol, called Jack's Old Town.
Follow Caitlin Turner on Twitter at twitter.com/Cait_E_Turner.
Related Content:
This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Handgun found in the Pinecrest neighborhood days after Cherol was killed."