In the summer of 2017, a burst of gunfire in a grocery store parking lot shattered the evening quiet in Spartanburg, South Carolina, leaving two men dead and another wounded. One of the victims was 21-year-old Raymond Turner, who succumbed to his injuries at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on August 7, 2017. The other man killed at the scene was identified as 28-year-old Tyshann Rashad Smith.
A third man sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his arm.
The investigation into the double homicide at Biggerstaff Grocery on Farley Avenue quickly painted a complex and violent picture. According to the Spartanburg police investigation, the incident was not a random act of violence. It was determined that Smith had shot Raymond Turner. In the immediate aftermath of Turner's shooting, another individual, 19-year-old Gettis Andre Chambers, fatally shot Smith.
In the wake of the shootings, Gettis Andre Chambers fled the scene. He altered his appearance in an attempt to evade capture and fled to Maryland. His efforts to escape justice were short-lived, as he was apprehended two weeks later in a residence where guns and illegal drugs were also found. Evidence from the crime scene, including witness statements and video footage, played a crucial role in piecing together the events of that fatal evening. Investigators found three types of shell casings from three different firearms at the location, underscoring the chaotic nature of the exchange.
Gettis Andre Chambers was charged in connection with the death of Tyshann Rashad Smith. In May 2018, he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Despite having no prior criminal record, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he will be required to serve 85 percent of that time before becoming eligible for release.
