In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in October 2019, a long-simmering dispute between two coworkers reached a tragic and fatal conclusion in the parking lot of their shared workplace in Newberry, South Carolina. Javoka JeKel Toland, a 22-year-old male, was found unresponsive by sheriff's deputies responding to a call of shots fired at Valmont Industries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation quickly centered on a coworker, 23-year-old Shunolon McKenize Renwick. The conflict between Toland and Renwick was described by authorities as an 'ongoing dispute' with roots in their neighborhood associations that had spilled over into their work environment. On the morning of the shooting, the animosity escalated. It was reported that Toland had brandished a firearm before placing it back in his vehicle. This action seemingly provoked Renwick, who then retrieved his own handgun, chased Toland on foot across the parking lot, and shot him eight times.
Later that day, in a somewhat unexpected turn of events, Shunolon McKenize Renwick, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in to the Newberry County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during a violent crime. The sheriff overseeing the case lamented the senselessness of the violence, stating that it was a 'dispute that ended tragically.'
In June of 2021, the legal proceedings against Shunolon McKenize Renwick concluded. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. At the time of his sentencing, he was given credit for the 598 days he had already served in jail. The solicitor's office noted that both men had armed themselves at different points during the altercation, emphasizing the tragic outcome of escalating a feud with firearms rather than seeking a peaceful resolution.
