In the Racepath Community of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a dispute on the evening of May 8, 2015, tragically escalated, ending the life of 21-year-old Nigeria McDonald. A Black female and a graduate of Myrtle Beach High School, she was known affectionately as 'NiNi' to her loved ones.
That evening, an altercation broke out, involving Nigeria, another woman, and a man identified as James A. Wilson. During the fight, Wilson, then 22, produced a handgun and shot McDonald.
When police officers arrived at the Racepath Street location around 7:30 p.m., they found a witness attempting to staunch the bleeding from a gunshot wound under McDonald's left arm. She was transported to Grand Strand Medical Center, where she ultimately died from her injuries.
Investigators found a single. 40 caliber shell casing at the scene, along with other evidence of the preceding struggle. Wilson fled after the shooting, but was taken into custody by the Horry County Police Department the following afternoon. He was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
In June 2016, James Abdullah Wilson was brought to trial. After a two-day proceeding in Conway, an Horry County jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter and the associated weapons charge. The judge sentenced him to 27 years in prison for manslaughter and an additional five years for the weapon possession, with the sentences to run concurrently.
