In the early morning hours of October 10, 2021, a night out turned deadly in the parking lot of Club Amnesia in McColl, South Carolina. A barrage of gunfire erupted just after 2 a.m., ending the lives of 31-year-old Ronnie Oxendine and 23-year-old Bria Byrd. Both victims were from the neighboring Richmond County in North Carolina. The violent outburst also left three other people wounded.
Authorities reported that the shooting appeared to involve multiple assailants who quickly fled the scene, speeding across the state line into North Carolina. Investigators believed the individuals involved were not strangers to one another.
A multi-agency investigation was swiftly launched, involving the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, with cooperation from law enforcement in North Carolina. Their collaborative efforts led to the identification and arrest of five suspects from Rockingham, North Carolina, just a few days after the shooting. The men taken into custody were Kevin Robert Williams, 27, Marion Devonte Ellerbe, 24, Antuan Latice Zeigler, 21, Javontae Marquel Dockery, 22, and Khalil Jaquan Watkins, 19.
Each of the five suspects faced a string of serious charges, including two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. Following their apprehension, they were slated for extradition from North Carolina to face legal proceedings in South Carolina. During an initial court hearing, a magistrate denied bond for the accused, citing the severity of the crimes. The case was then bound over to a circuit court judge. The tragic nature of the events was further compounded when the family of Bria Byrd revealed that two of the suspects were her cousins.
