Leo Junior Brockington, a 47-year-old Black man from Florence, South Carolina, was killed in a shooting in the spring of 2021. The incident led to the swift arrest of two brothers, one of whom was a former police officer.
On the morning of Tuesday, March 9, 2021, Florence police responded to a call about a gunshot victim around 8:15 a.m. in the 700 block of Roosevelt Street. Officers arrived to find Mr. Brockington with life-threatening injuries.
He was rushed to McLeod Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The Florence County Coroner later confirmed his identity, and an autopsy was scheduled to be performed at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Investigators soon determined that the shooting was connected to a drug transaction that had escalated into an armed robbery. This information quickly led them to identify two suspects in the case.
Within hours of the shooting, police arrested 66-year-old Freddie Junior Wells on Tuesday evening. It was later confirmed that Freddie Wells was a former law enforcement officer who had previously worked with the Hampton Police Department, Allendale Police Department, Hampton County Sheriff's Office, Estill Police Department, and the Allendale County Detention Center. His brother, 52-year-old Johnny Wells, was located the following day at a VA hospital in Charleston and was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday evening.
Both brothers were charged in connection with Leo Brockington's death. Freddie Wells was charged with murder, armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy. Johnny Wells was charged with murder, armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. As of March 2021, both men were being housed at the Florence County Detention Center pending bond hearings.
