On the evening of November 6, 2025, in Sumter, South Carolina, a domestic argument tragically escalated, resulting in the shooting death of 25-year-old Akinyele Rhakem Johnson, a Black man from the neighboring town of Bishopville. The incident unfolded at the Huntington Place Apartments on Coachman Drive, the residence of 22-year-old Ealicia Samarae Davis.
Sumter Police Department officers were dispatched to the apartment complex around 6:45 p.m. following reports of a shooting.
Upon their arrival, they discovered Johnson inside an apartment with a gunshot wound. Emergency aid was rendered at the scene before he was transported to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The couple’s toddler was reportedly in the home at the time of the fatal altercation but was unharmed and has since been placed with family members.
Davis remained at the scene and was taken into custody by law enforcement. Investigators have characterized the shooting as domestic-related, stemming from a verbal argument that turned physical. Davis has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and is being held at the Sumter County jail.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to determine the precise cause of death. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Akinyele Rhakem Johnson's death is ongoing.
