In the quiet community of Anderson, South Carolina, a family dispute on a January afternoon tragically escalated, leaving a young man dead and his teenage sister facing a murder charge. Deonte Marquez Luster, a 27-year-old African American male, was shot and killed on January 25, 2025, following a heated argument with his sister. The incident unfolded on Squirrel Drive, where authorities were dispatched around 2:30 p.m.
to respond to a shooting.
Upon their arrival, emergency personnel found Luster with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was immediately transported to AnMed Medical Center for treatment but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The Anderson County Coroner's Office later confirmed the cause of death as a homicide, stemming from the single gunshot wound. The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting quickly pointed to a domestic altercation that had turned violent.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement identified 18-year-old Ly-Rique Lajada Grayson, Deonte Luster's sister, as the suspect. It was reported that Grayson herself had contacted emergency services after the incident. She was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. During her bond hearing, at which she was denied bond, family members spoke out, indicating that both siblings had struggled with mental health issues. A great-uncle of the siblings released a statement on behalf of the family, urging the justice system to consider the impact of untreated mental health in this case and affirming their commitment to supporting Grayson.
