In a tragic and unexpected turn of events, George C. Caldwell, a 48-year-old man from Bamberg, South Carolina, was fatally shot on the evening of February 7, 2025. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Dodge's Store located on Old Edisto Drive in Orangeburg. At approximately 9:00 p.m., officers from the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety responded to a call regarding a shooting and discovered Caldwell at the scene with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the location.
The investigation into the shooting, described by the Orangeburg Public Safety Chief Charles Austin as a 'senseless and unprovoked incident,' quickly led to a suspect. Through the use of surveillance footage from local businesses and the city, authorities were able to identify 17-year-old Malichi Johnson as the individual allegedly responsible for Caldwell's death. There is no indication that Johnson and Caldwell knew each other prior to the fatal encounter.
Following the identification, Malichi Johnson was taken into custody. He is facing several serious charges, including murder, attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18. Due to the severity of the alleged crimes, Johnson is being charged as an adult. During his initial court appearance, a judge denied bond, and the case is set to proceed to the court of general sessions. Community members and officials have expressed their sorrow over the violent death of Caldwell, who was remembered by a neighbor as a good and quiet man who 'didn't bother nobody.'
