A Summerton man was killed Saturday night by accidental shooting.
Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett said Gary Mathis was placing loaded guns at a home in the 1500 block of Homeward Way in Summerton when one of them discharged, hitting him in the stomach.
"He later died at Clarendon Memorial Hospital," said Garrett.
Clarendon County Coroner Hayes Samuels said an autopsy will be performed 9 a.m. Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina hospital. Mathis was a member of the popular 4-Way Stop Band, which has performed at the Puddin' Swamp Festival, the Striped Bass Festival and other local events.
Fellow band member George Moore posted on social media that Mathis was "not just a wonderful man to share a part of our lives with, but he was also a tremendous influence on the band."
"He loved his music and freely shared it with those of us fortunate to be able to join with him," Moore said. "We already miss him terribly, and we will never forget his warmth and genuine concern for his friends and family. Gary will live on in the hearts of the ones he has touched. May his family find peace in knowing that Gary was loved by so many."
