In the early morning hours of September 8, 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace at a Hop In convenience store and Sunoco gas station on Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina, leaving two men dead and several others wounded. One of the victims was 30-year-old Michael Carlton Rogers. He was a graduate of Sumter High School, and his mother described him as a funny and loving man whose death left her in pieces.
The shooting was the culmination of escalating tensions between rival
gangs, reportedly fueled by a rap music video. In the ensuing chaos, Michael Rogers was shot and rushed to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. His 30-year-old cousin, Gregory 'Donta' Middleton, was also killed in the incident, pronounced dead at the scene. Three other men were also injured during the shootout.
The Sumter Police Department quickly determined the incident was gang-related and began working to identify those involved. In the days following the shooting, authorities identified several persons of interest with ties to the rival gangs. While some individuals were arrested on unrelated charges, the investigation into the murders continued.
Eventually, investigators charged 26-year-old Diontrae Epps, who was also injured in the shooting, with the murder of Michael Rogers. Another man, 23-year-old Joquell Wanye Myers, was charged with the murder of Gregory Middleton.
The case against Diontrae Epps proceeded to trial, which was delayed for years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2023, after a four-day trial that relied heavily on surveillance footage and witness testimony, a jury found Epps guilty of the murder of Michael Rogers and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Joquell Myers was also found guilty of attempted murder of another victim in the shooting and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, receiving a 20-year sentence.
Following Epps's conviction, reports emerged questioning the verdict. Analysis of the surveillance footage by a forensic expert suggested that based on the trajectory of the fatal bullet, it would have been impossible for Epps to have fired the shot that killed Rogers. This expert testified for the defense during the trial, presenting the argument to the jury that the fatal shot came from a different direction. Despite this, the jury ultimately convicted Epps.
