Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred June 6 at Wausau Park, where gunfire rang out while children played basketball, leaving bullet holes in a nearby home but no reported injuries.
According to Interim Police Chief LeShawn Green, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office notified him around 9 p.m. of multiple gunshots in the park area. Green, who currently serves as the department’s sole officer and maintains a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday schedule, was off duty at the time but responded to the scene, where he found the park crowded with children during the gunfire.
“No one was struck by gunfire, but there were three bullet holes inside a resident’s home,” Green told town council members at the June 10 meeting. “While there has been no arrest made at this time, the investigation is still ongoing.”
Fred Richburg, a resident of the neighborhood, spoke during the meeting’s public comment period, saying he was inside watching television when shots came through his home.
“There must’ve been 30 or 40 shots by the time it was done,” Richburg said. “Kids were out there, maybe seven or eight of them. It’s dangerous. That bullet came right through where I was sitting.”
Chief Green said that while names have been mentioned during the investigation, no individuals have come forward to make formal statements. He has requested the installation of security cameras at the park, citing a similar shooting on the same street two years ago.
Mayor Keith Bowman urged curfews to be enforced at the park and for officers to patrol the area at dusk.
“Nobody should be in that park after dark,” Bowman said. “If they are, they need to be cleared out. We can’t wait until tragedy strikes before we act.”
The Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office currently patrols Summerton on Saturday nights, and a designated zone officer responds to calls during the rest of the week. Green said the Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol assisted the night of the shooting and will continue to help until more officers are added to the department.
“I ride through that area several times a day,” Green said. “I want the public to know that safety is the main priority for the residents of Summerton.”
Green added that two new officers are expected to join the department in the coming weeks.
