In the late hours of a Saturday night in Pelzer, South Carolina, a sequence of events unfolded that would tragically end the life of 62-year-old Terry Lee Lollis. It began with a car crash near Lollis's residence on State 418. A vehicle struck a telephone pole and burst into flames. The driver, 19-year-old Dmarrion Jaquay Gilmore, emerged from the wreck and urged bystanders not to involve the police.
When told that law enforcement was already on the way, Gilmore became embroiled in a heated argument with witnesses.
The confrontation escalated dramatically when one witness produced a bat, and Gilmore, in turn, brandished a firearm. Hearing the commotion from his nearby home, Terry Lee Lollis mounted his ATV to investigate the disturbance. As he approached the chaotic scene, he saw Gilmore with the gun and immediately attempted to turn around and retreat. It was at this moment that Gilmore fired, striking Lollis at least once. After the shooting, Gilmore fled into the nearby woods.
Emergency services were called, and Lollis was rushed to a local hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries and passed away during surgery in the early morning hours of the following day. In the meantime, law enforcement, with the assistance of K-9 units, searched the area for the shooter. They located Dmarrion Jaquay Gilmore in a field and took him into custody.
Gilmore, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, was initially charged with attempted murder, a charge that was later upgraded following Lollis's death. Further investigation into the events of that night revealed that prior to the shooting, Gilmore had stolen car keys from two men who had stopped to help him after the crash and had forced them into a nearby dance barn at gunpoint. In April 2018, Dmarrion Gilmore pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Terry Lee Lollis, with an additional 30 years for the other charges.
