On the evening of May 16, 2026, the life of 36-year-old Lewis Garrett of Awendaw, South Carolina, was tragically cut short. Deputies from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the 8600 block of North Highway 17 shortly after 10 p.m. following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered Garrett with apparent gunshot wounds. Charleston County EMS also responded to the scene and pronounced Garrett deceased.
The cause of his death was determined to be gun violence.
The investigation into the death of the male victim was handled by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigations Division and the Forensic Services Unit. The Charleston County Coroner's Office also responded to the scene to conduct their own investigation into the death. The authorities appealed to the public for any additional information regarding the incident, providing contact details for the Sheriff's Office and a specific detective on the case. The community was left to mourn the loss of Garrett, with funeral services being arranged for the following week.
In the days following the shooting, detectives with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office made significant progress in the case. On May 18, 2026, it was announced that two men had been arrested and charged in connection with the homicide. The suspects were identified as 38-year-old Richard Allen Manigault and 31-year-old Wesley Howard Gerald, both from McClellanville. Manigault was charged with Murder, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, and Armed Robbery, while Gerald was charged with Murder. This brought a swift, if partial, resolution to the initial phase of the investigation, providing some answers to a community shaken by the violent event. However, publicly available information regarding the outcome of these charges, including details of any subsequent trial, conviction, or sentencing, is not readily available.
