In the quiet town of Gaston, South Carolina, a celebration turned to tragedy on August 7, 2021, ending the life of 28-year-old Khia Riley. A White / Caucasian woman, Khia was in her home on Sprahler Street when she was fatally shot multiple times. The violence erupted just hours after she had been celebrating her birthday, a detail that added another layer of heartbreak for her loved ones.
An investigation by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department determined that she had been shot in the right arm, head, and back with a. 380 Smith & Wesson handgun and was unarmed at the time of the attack.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting was witnessed by an off-duty Swansea Police officer who lived nearby and saw a man fleeing the scene. This man was identified as Khia's husband, 33-year-old Alonzo James Riley. In a turn of events, as Lexington County investigators and Gaston police began their work at the scene, Alonzo Riley returned, still in possession of a handgun that matched the caliber of the shell casings found inside the home.
Alonzo James Riley was arrested and faced charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was subsequently booked into the Lexington County Detention Center, where a magistrate judge denied him bond. Despite the initial denial of bond, a fundraising page created by family mentioned that he was released on bail after four months and was on house arrest. The case against him is reportedly still moving through the judicial system.
