On a summer evening in Columbia, South Carolina, a dispute between rival motorcycle clubs escalated into a tragic act of violence that claimed the lives of 40-year-old Aaron Collins and his wife, Sydni Collins. The fatal encounter occurred on July 27, 2017, when the couple was gunned down while stopped on their motorcycle at the intersection of Parklane Road and Claudia Drive.
Aaron, a male, sustained five gunshot wounds to his upper body and, along with his wife, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The ensuing investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify two suspects: Ricardo Laroy Middleton and Marquez Johnson. Middleton was apprehended in August 2017, followed by Johnson's arrest in September of the same year. Both men were charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Aaron and Sydni Collins, in addition to one count of attempted murder for injuring a third individual at the scene.
The events leading to the deadly shooting began earlier that evening at a motorcycle club event, where a verbal altercation took place between members of the opposing groups. Following this confrontation, Middleton and Johnson pursued the Collinses and another motorcyclist. At the intersection, Middleton exited his vehicle and physically assaulted the third motorcyclist. When Sydni Collins reportedly reached for a weapon in response, Middleton shot her twice before turning the gun on her husband, Aaron.
Ricardo Laroy Middleton stood trial for the killings. In August 2019, a jury found him guilty of the murder of Sydni Collins, and he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. However, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the murder charge specifically for Aaron Collins' death, resulting in a hung jury on that count. He was acquitted of the attempted murder charge. At the time of Middleton's sentencing in September 2019, the murder charge for Aaron's death was still considered pending, as were the charges against the second suspect, Marquez Johnson. There is no publicly available information detailing a retrial or the final disposition of the murder charge against Middleton in connection with Aaron Collins' death. The outcome of the charges against Marquez Johnson also remains unclear.
