In the late morning quiet of a Sunday in Loris, South Carolina, the tranquility was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 35-year-old Alvin J. Johnson. On August 23, 2015, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Johnson, a Black/African American male, was shot multiple times near the intersection of Broad and Maple streets. An autopsy would later confirm that he sustained several gunshot wounds, including a fatal one to his chest and two others to his lower body.
The
investigation into Johnson's death was swift, with both the Loris and Horry County Police Departments responding to the scene. A crucial breakthrough came when the victim's brother, who was present during the incident, identified the alleged shooter to authorities. This information led police to the Tall Pines Apartments, where they located the suspect, 36-year-old Garry Kristin Batton of Loris. After a brief foot chase, Batton was apprehended and taken into custody.
Following his arrest, Garry Kristin Batton was charged with murder and held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The legal process moved forward, and in a turn of events, Batton pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. In December 2016, a judge sentenced him to 22 years in prison for his role in Alvin Jamar Johnson's death. The sentence stipulated that Batton would not be eligible for parole. The case was prosecuted by the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office, bringing a close to the legal chapter of a tragedy that deeply affected the Loris community.
