In the quiet community of Sumter, South Carolina, a life was tragically cut short on the evening of Thursday, January 26, 2017. Kyre Raquan Bethea, a 19-year-old male, was at a residence on Somerset Drive when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. The incident, which unfolded around 7 p.m., was not the result of a heated conflict, but rather a perilous game gone horribly wrong.
According to witnesses, Bethea was with an acquaintance, 17-year-old Rhythm Sharmell Portee, and the
two were playing with a handgun. The reckless handling of the firearm led to its accidental discharge, striking Bethea. Emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene and transported him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The weapon used in the incident was later discovered to have been stolen during a recent car break-in.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Portee fled the residence but was apprehended by law enforcement at another nearby home shortly after. An investigation was launched by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, which led to charges being filed against the teenager. Portee was charged with manslaughter in connection with Bethea's death.
Further investigation into Portee's background revealed a troubling history with the law. At the time of the fatal incident, he was already out on bond for a separate and serious charge of attempted murder from a shooting that had occurred the previous month, in December. Portee was booked at the county jail to await legal proceedings for the death of Kyre Bethea.
