In the late morning of June 11, 2020, the sense of peace in a Camden, South Carolina neighborhood was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots. When Kershaw County sheriff's deputies arrived at the 1200 block of First Street, they discovered the body of 43-year-old Orlando Donte Priester lying in a driveway near the road's edge. Priester, a resident of the Camden area, had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Kershaw County Coroner, David West, later confirmed his identity and the cause of death.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly, and before the day's end, authorities had a suspect in custody. John Kevin Jones, a 48-year-old man, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Priester's death. The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest, bringing a small measure of relief to a community shaken by the violent event.
Details regarding a potential motive for the shooting or the relationship between Priester and Jones were not immediately made public. Priester, known to his loved ones as 'Donte,' was the owner of D&D Builders and was remembered as an amazing carpenter. The community was left to mourn his sudden and tragic death as the case against his alleged killer began to move through the legal system.
