On a Saturday night in Seabrook, South Carolina, a gathering turned tragic, leading to the death of 74-year-old Flora Mae Gantt, a female resident of nearby Walterboro. The incident occurred on December 4, 2021, at a party on Detour Road where a dispute escalated into gunfire. Beaufort County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to reports of shots fired at approximately 11 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered two women had been shot. Flora Mae Gantt was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim, 30-year-old Shaina Mulligan of Beaufort, was also fatally wounded and died while en route to the hospital.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify 22-year-old Dionte Mitchell of Seabrook as the suspect. According to witness statements, Mitchell was involved in the dispute at the party and fled the scene after the shooting. Investigators were able to make contact with Mitchell, who provided his account of the events but was not immediately taken into custody. After further investigation and interviews with numerous witnesses, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office obtained arrest warrants for Mitchell on December 28, 2021. The charges included two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Believing Mitchell had fled the state, local law enforcement enlisted the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service to locate him. The search for Mitchell continued for several months until he was apprehended. On June 8, 2022, Dionte Mitchell was arrested in Queens, New York, by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following his arrest, he was slated for extradition back to Beaufort County to stand trial for the murders of Flora Mae Gantt and Shaina Mulligan.
