On the night of July 23, 2017, an altercation occurred on Durant Cemetery Road in Johnsonville, South Carolina, that resulted in the shooting of 18-year-old Dylan Wayne Hanna. Dylan, a rising senior at Johnsonville High School and a recent recruit for the United States Marine Corps, was discovered with a gunshot wound and transported to a hospital in Florence.
Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries the following day, July 24, 2017.
Law enforcement officials from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident, which led to the arrest of 17-year-old Wyatt Shane Altman. Altman was initially taken into custody and charged with murder in connection with Hanna's death. He was held at the Florence County Detention Center pending a bond hearing. The shooting shocked the small community, where both teenagers were known residents.
The legal proceedings took a significant turn when the case was reviewed under South Carolina's "Stand Your Ground" law, also known as the Castle Doctrine. This legal principle allows individuals to use deadly force without a duty to retreat if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury. Following a judicial review of the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, it was determined that Altman acted within his rights under this statute. Consequently, the murder charge against Wyatt Altman was dismissed, and he was cleared of criminal liability in the death of Dylan Hanna.
