In the early morning hours of June 4, 2016, the life of 33-year-old Antwan Maurice Sams was tragically cut short in Walterboro, South Carolina. A patrol officer in the vicinity of the McDonald's restaurant on Sniders Highway heard the distinct sound of six or seven gunshots piercing the pre-dawn quiet at approximately 3:08 a.m. As the officer approached the scene, several people were seen fleeing for safety from the drive-through area where the shots appeared to have originated.
Amid the
chaos, Sams was discovered on the ground near the restaurant's drive-through, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The officer, joined by a deputy from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, immediately began performing CPR and chest compressions in a desperate attempt to save his life. Paramedics with Colleton County Fire-Rescue soon arrived and continued advanced life support before rushing Sams to the Colleton Medical Center. Despite their efforts, Antwan Maurice Sams was pronounced dead in the emergency department. A second individual was also found in the parking lot of the nearby Quality Inn with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and was subsequently hospitalized.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, a silver SUV was seen fleeing the scene, leading to a police pursuit. The chase ended after the vehicle crashed, and its three occupants attempted to escape on foot. Two Walterboro men, 18-year-old Lymik Pierce and 23-year-old Jylin Daquan Ford, were apprehended. Pierce was charged with failure to stop for a blue light and obstruction of justice, while Ford was charged with obstruction of justice. However, at the time, law enforcement officials were uncertain if they were directly involved in the shooting that led to Sams' death.
Antwan Maurice Sams, a father and a resident of Walterboro, was remembered by his family and friends. His death was ruled a homicide, with the cause being the multiple gunshot injuries he sustained. The investigation into his murder was launched by the Walterboro Police Department, but as of late 2025, there have been no public announcements regarding any arrests for the murder of Antwan Sams, and the case is considered unsolved.
