In the summer heat of July 23, 2016, a gathering in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, turned deadly, claiming the life of 26-year-old Dameion Hakeem Alston. That evening, on Warren Street, an argument erupted, shattering the night with the sound of gunfire. When the chaos subsided, Alston and another man, 27-year-old Marquis Jamal Burgess, lay critically wounded. Both men were rushed to Grand Strand Medical Center, but their injuries proved fatal.
Alston was pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly focused on Calvin Derrell Ford, a 29-year-old from Myrtle Beach. Witnesses reported that a verbal altercation between Ford and Burgess had escalated, culminating in Ford allegedly drawing a firearm and firing multiple rounds, striking both Burgess and Alston. In a technological twist, the investigation was aided by the fact that both Burgess and Ford were wearing GPS monitoring devices as a condition of their release on bond for previous unrelated charges. This allowed law enforcement to place both men at the scene of the crime. The day after the shooting, Calvin Derrell Ford was arrested without incident.
Following his arrest, Ford was charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Another man, Aliga Campbell, also faced two counts of murder and weapons charges in connection with the killings. During the legal proceedings, Ford's defense team attempted to have the charges dismissed under South Carolina's 'Stand Your Ground' law, arguing that he was justified in the shooting. However, a circuit court judge denied this motion, paving the way for the case to proceed to trial. The deaths of Dameion Alston and Marquis Burgess left a lasting impact on their families and the wider Myrtle Beach community, highlighting the tragic consequences of escalating disputes and gun violence.
