In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 30, 2022, a promising young man's life was tragically cut short in a violent encounter at a local entertainment spot in Walterboro, South Carolina. Dexter Diondre Lynah Jr., a 23-year-old male, was fatally shot at Sure Shots pool hall and bar on Sniders Highway. Just two months prior, Lynah had celebrated a significant milestone, graduating from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, an
achievement for which he had received the Presidential Scholar Award for three consecutive years.
The events of that fateful night unfolded from a dispute. Shannon Lamont Kinard, a 41-year-old Walterboro resident, became embroiled in an argument with other patrons inside the crowded pool hall. Following the initial confrontation, Kinard retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and returned to the establishment, where he opened fire. Lynah was struck by the gunfire inside the pool hall.
Despite being wounded, Lynah attempted to escape, making his way out of a backdoor and into an outside courtyard. Kinard, however, pursued him. Surveillance footage captured the harrowing final moments as an injured Lynah, with a broken femur, fell to the ground and raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. Kinard stood over him and fired his weapon again. In total, Lynah was shot four times. After the shooting, Kinard discovered he had dropped his car keys and fled the scene in a stolen vehicle. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Lynah was transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later. Another woman at the scene sustained a broken leg during the incident.
The investigation into Lynah's death led authorities to identify Shannon Lamont Kinard as the suspect. On August 3, 2022, Kinard turned himself in to law enforcement. He was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. A police K9 unit later located the firearm used in the shooting near a fence line outside the pool hall.
In January 2025, Shannon Lamont Kinard was found guilty of the murder of Dexter Diondre Lynah Jr. following a four-day jury trial. During the trial, nineteen witnesses testified for the prosecution. In addition to the murder conviction, Kinard was also found guilty of using a vehicle without permission with the intent to deprive and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder, with concurrent sentences of five years for the weapon charge and three years for stealing the vehicle.
