In the late spring of 2017, a domestic incident in Lexington County, South Carolina, ended in the tragic death of 21-year-old Johnathan Corbitt. On the evening of May 29, 2017, Corbitt was fatally shot at a home in the Leesville area. The young man, a resident of Lexington, succumbed to a single gunshot wound to his upper body.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting soon came to light, revealing a family connection that made the event even more devastating.
The investigation led to the arrest of 62-year-old Steven Lee Atwell of Batesburg-Leesville, who was identified as Johnathan Corbitt's father-in-law. According to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Atwell was handling a. 44 Magnum handgun when the fatal shot was fired.
Authorities stated that Atwell pointed the firearm at his son-in-law and pulled the trigger, an act that Sheriff Jay Koon described as a reckless disregard for the safety of others. Tragically, a single bullet that had been left in the gun's cylinder was discharged, striking Corbitt. Following the incident, Steven Lee Atwell was taken into custody and charged with involuntary manslaughter. He was subsequently held at the Lexington County Detention Center, with a bond set at $55,000.
