In a quiet neighborhood in Salley, South Carolina, the life of 28-year-old Garrick Kelly was cut short on the afternoon of August 13, 2020. Responders were called to a residence on Roberts Street East after a 911 caller reported hearing gunshots and then discovering a person lying in the yard. Upon their arrival, they found Garrick Kelly unresponsive, having sustained apparent gunshot wounds to his upper body.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Aiken County Sheriff's Office immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Eyewitnesses at the scene provided a description of the suspected shooter and the vehicle he fled in. Investigators were told the suspect, wearing red pants and a gray shirt, jumped into a black sedan and quickly left the area. This information led law enforcement to a getaway vehicle at a residence on Conestoga Way, but the suspect was not found there at the time.
The day after the fatal shooting, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office publicly identified a suspect in the murder of Garrick Kelly. They announced that they were searching for 28-year-old Dameun Jeff Sanders of Windsor, South Carolina. Warrants were issued for Sanders' arrest on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Authorities cautioned that Sanders should be considered armed and dangerous and appealed to the public for any information regarding his whereabouts, offering a cash reward for tips leading to his arrest.
Garrick Kelly, born on November 2, 1991, was remembered as a loving person with a genuine heart who cherished his family and children. A graduate of Wagener High School, he had furthered his education at Denmark Technical College and earned a certificate in welding. Known for his love of basketball and a passion for dogs, his family recalled that he always had a joke to tell and a smile that was worth a million words. His sudden death left his parents, children, siblings, and a wide circle of family and friends to mourn their loss.
