In a tragic case of mistaken identity, 10-year-old Lavinia Lowe was shot and killed as she slept in her Beech Island, South Carolina, home. The female child, known affectionately as 'Muffin' to her family, was a rising fifth-grader at Redcliffe Elementary School who was remembered for her joyful spirit and love of dance.
On the night of June 25, 2025, deputies from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office were called to a residence on Dorsett Kenzie Road around 11:49 p.m.
following reports of gunfire. Inside, they discovered Lavinia in her bed with a gunshot wound to her head. Despite attempts to render aid, she was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:30 a.m. on June 26, 2025. Investigators determined that the shots had been fired from outside the house.
The investigation quickly revealed that the shooting was a retaliatory act connected to another recent homicide. Authorities stated that the individuals responsible were targeting someone who had not lived at the Lowe family's residence for over a year and a half. The Aiken County Sheriff described the perpetrators as 'gang-banging cowards' who had attacked a house full of innocent people.
A multi-agency investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement led to the arrests of six individuals. In a coordinated operation on July 30, 2025, authorities executed search warrants at five different locations across Aiken, Edgefield, and Richmond counties, taking several suspects into custody without incident. Those arrested and charged include Tramain Wilson, 18, and Brandon Pollard, 17, who were both charged with murder. Timothy Harris Jr., 18, also faces a murder charge. Ri'dauris Blocker, 18, and Fredrick Lamar Trottie Jr., 32, were charged with criminal conspiracy. A warrant for Trottie alleged that he participated in a group text message chat where the murder was planned. Quincy Dunbar, 17, was charged with accessory before the fact to murder for allegedly providing one of the weapons used in the crime.
