In the early hours of a Sunday morning in March 2022, violence erupted on Powell Drive in Chester, South Carolina, forever altering the lives of many. Amid the chaos, 31-year-old Shonta Neely, a Black woman described as an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire of a dispute that was not her own. For three days, she fought for her life, but on March 9, 2022, she succumbed to her injuries, becoming the second fatality of the tragic shooting.
The man authorities identified as the
perpetrator was 30-year-old Vangereil Dretreckes Miller. The initial target of the shooting, Kevin Bashon Feaster, 30, died at the scene from his wounds. Investigators believe the violence stemmed from a previous argument between Miller and Feaster. In the aftermath of the shooting, which left three others wounded, a manhunt for Miller was launched by the Chester County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Miller was considered armed and dangerous, a concern amplified by the fact that he was already out on bail for two prior shootings in 2020 and was supposed to be under house arrest with electronic monitoring at the time of the incident.
A significant multi-agency search for Miller ensued, with the FBI joining the effort and offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The manhunt, which stretched across states, concluded on August 31, 2022, when Miller was apprehended in Fort Worth, Texas, by federal agents and local law enforcement. He was extradited back to South Carolina to face a litany of charges.
Upon his return to Chester County, Vangereil Dretreckes Miller was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Shonta Neely and Kevin Feaster. The charges against him also included possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of a firearm by a violent felon. Following his arrest, the 6th Circuit Solicitor's Office expressed their commitment to prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law, aiming to bring justice to the families of the victims and the community shaken by the senseless violence that claimed the life of an innocent bystander.
