A Manning man was killed in a shooting early Sunday, May 3, at a motel in Clarendon County, and a suspect is now in custody, authorities said.
Clarendon County Coroner Jacqueline Blackwell identified the victim as 37-year-old George Antwan Ragin Jr. of Manning. He died after suffering a gunshot wound to the upper body. An autopsy is scheduled this week at the Medical University of South Carolina.
According to the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:40 a.m. to the 5900 block of Alex Harvin Highway in the Rambay area, where the shooting occurred at the Ashburn Inn. Ragin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators identified a suspect as Willie Ray Nelson Jr., 57, of Buffalo Junction, Virginia. Nelson was wanted on unrelated warrants out of Clarendon County and was taken into custody around 1:30 p.m. Sunday at a residence in Williamsburg County without incident, with assistance from the Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Nelson is being held at the Clarendon County Detention Center and is awaiting charges related to the shooting.
Sheriff Tim Baxley said the investigation remains ongoing. The Sheriff’s Office is working with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 435-4414 or the agency’s tip line at (803) 433-8477.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
