A 58-year-old male, Ronald A. Bonnette, became an innocent victim of gang violence in Columbia, SC, on the evening of October 26, 2018. After returning home from his job as a painter, Bonnette was taking out his trash at the Petan Apartments on Beatty Road at approximately 8 p.m. when a shootout erupted between rival gangs. He was caught in the crossfire and sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the torso.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department reported that at least 25 rounds were fired during the exchange, with stray bullets striking three vehicles and two occupied apartments, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the violence that claimed Bonnette's life.
The subsequent investigation by the Richland County Sheriff's Department led to the arrest of three teenage suspects. Dy'quan Monroe King, 17, Messiah Denicholas Cornish, 18, and Elijah Karim Gilmore, 18, were taken into custody in the days following the shooting. None of the suspects were residents of the apartment complex where the fatal shooting occurred. Authorities stated that the location was chosen as a meeting point for the confrontation between the rival gangs.
All three teenagers faced charges of murder for their roles in the death of Ronald Bonnette. In addition to the murder charge, Dy'quan King was charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, unlawful carrying of a pistol, and discharging firearms into a dwelling. Messiah Cornish was also charged with possession of a firearm during a violent crime and discharging a firearm into a dwelling. Elijah Gilmore's additional charges included possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Following their arrests, the three suspects were booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center to await trial. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of gang violence, as an innocent man lost his life while performing a routine task. One of the suspects, Dy'quan King, was also implicated and charged in connection with a separate double homicide that occurred just days before the shooting that killed Bonnette.
