On the morning of November 9, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a distress call at a residence on Ollie Drive in Rembert, a community within Sumter County, South Carolina. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies discovered the lifeless body of Briannica Nicole Johnson, a 26-year-old Black female, inside the home. The Sumter County Coroner’s Office subsequently identified the victim and determined that she had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The violence of the event was not limited to a single casualty, as a male victim was also found at the location suffering from injuries. He was treated by first responders and transported to a hospital in Richland County for further medical attention.
Investigators from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office determined that the incident involved a shooter firing into an occupied dwelling, a reckless act that ultimately claimed Johnson's life. The inquiry into the shooting continued for several weeks as detectives gathered evidence to identify the person responsible for the attack. By late November, authorities had developed sufficient leads to pinpoint a primary suspect believed to have carried out the deadly assault on the Ollie Drive residence.
On November 25, 2020, the Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 23-year-old Dejuan Moorer Bryant of Wedgefield in connection with the homicide. Bryant was taken into custody and formally charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. According to the warrants issued for his arrest, law enforcement officials alleged that Bryant acted with malice aforethought when he discharged a firearm into the home. Following his arrest, a judge denied bond for all three charges, and he was remanded to the local detention center to await further legal proceedings.
