In the quiet town of Elloree, South Carolina, a social gathering turned tragic on the evening of Friday, March 14, 2025, ending in the death of 19-year-old Darius Aiken. Deputies from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office were called to a home on Cardinal Road around 8 p.m., where they discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds. Aiken was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second person was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries from bullet shrapnel.
The
investigation took a strange turn as deputies pieced together the events of that night. The alleged shooter, a 16-year-old neighbor of Aiken's, had been socializing with the victims earlier in the evening. According to investigators, the teenager consumed a marijuana-laced gummy and began to feel hot and panicked. He told authorities that he saw two people in the kitchen wearing white masks. In his panicked state, he retrieved a shotgun from his father's bedroom, returned to the kitchen, and opened fire. However, the sheriff's office later clarified that neither Aiken nor the other victim was wearing a mask. Authorities are investigating the possibility that the gummy was laced with a hallucinogen that contributed to the tragic events.
The 16-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released because he is a minor, was taken into custody. He has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The community, particularly those connected to Clarendon Hall, mourned the loss of Aiken, who had recently moved back to Elloree from Summerton. He was remembered as a 2024 graduate and a beloved member of the school's football and basketball teams, known for his infectious smile.
