In the early morning hours of Monday, January 8, 2018, a burst of violence outside a nightclub in Anderson, South Carolina, claimed the life of 29-year-old Jwan Tyree Smith and another man. The shooting occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. following an altercation involving three men at Big D's Lounge. Smith, an Anderson resident, was one of two fatalities in the incident; the other victim was identified as 49-year-old Harold “Cookie” Lee Gaines, Jr.
A third man was also injured in the shooting and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
According to the Chief Deputy Coroner, one of the men died at the scene of the shooting, while Smith was pronounced dead at AnMed Health Medical Center. Initial reports from law enforcement indicated that they were investigating the circumstances that led to the deadly confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, no arrests were reported, and authorities had not publicly identified any suspects.
The investigation into the double homicide was launched by the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. However, publicly available information and subsequent news reports have not indicated that any arrests have been made in the years following the incident. The case of who is responsible for the deaths of Jwan Tyree Smith and Harold Gaines Jr. appears to remain unresolved, leaving their families and the community without a sense of closure.
