In a tragic turn of events on a late Friday afternoon in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a young man lost his life. De'Mon Davis, a 22-year-old male, was shot and killed on September 7, 2018. The incident, which unfolded near the intersection of Sanders Street and Tom Hall Street, was the result of a physical altercation that escalated to gunfire. When Fort Mill Police Department officers arrived at the scene around 4:40 p.m., they discovered Davis with a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Davis was a former standout linebacker for South Pointe High School's football team, having played on several state championship teams.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to identify a suspect. A manhunt involving police from York, Chester, and Lancaster counties ensued, culminating in the arrest of 22-year-old Jackel Marquise Clinton of Lancaster in Chester County the morning after the shooting. Clinton was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was denied bond and taken to the York County jail. The investigation revealed that following a fight, Clinton had retrieved a gun and shot Davis.
A second individual, 21-year-old Anquante' El-Malik Lemel Watts of Fort Mill, was arrested on October 13, 2018. He was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. According to the arrest warrant, Watts was present at the scene of the killing and assisted Clinton by driving him away from the area after the shooting. Watts was later released on a $40,000 bond. In an unrelated case in 2021, Watts would face a murder charge in a different fatal shooting, though those charges were ultimately dismissed in 2023 under South Carolina's 'stand your ground' law.
In August 2019, Jackel Marquise Clinton appeared in a York County courtroom and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. This plea was part of a negotiated agreement, as he was originally charged with murder. Following his guilty plea, Clinton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the death of De'Mon Davis.
