A simmering disturbance at a high school alumni basketball game is believed to have escalated into a fatal shooting that left a young man dead in Clearwater, South Carolina. Deangelo R. Washington, a 22-year-old male, was discovered deceased in the driver's seat of his car behind a residence on Augusta Road. The tragic event unfolded around 5:06 p.m.
on a Sunday, when the Aiken County Sheriff's Office was inundated with 911 calls reporting a volley of gunshots near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway and Belvedere Road.
Eyewitnesses recounted a chaotic scene, describing occupants of four separate vehicles engaged in a rolling gun battle with handguns. Preliminary findings from the investigation suggested a link between the shootout and a dispute that had occurred earlier at an alumni basketball tournament hosted at Midland Valley High School. Following the grim discovery, the Aiken County Coroner's Office confirmed Washington's identity and that he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. His body was subsequently sent to Newberry for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials announced that they were in the nascent stages of their investigation and actively seeking any information that could lead to the identification and apprehension of the individuals involved. The Aiken County Sheriff's Office issued a public appeal for assistance, cautioning that the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. Despite the public call for information and the ongoing investigation by both the sheriff's office and the coroner's office, there have been no subsequent announcements regarding any arrests made or suspects identified in connection with the death of Deangelo Washington. The case remains an open investigation, leaving a community searching for answers and justice.
