Keywaun Clark was a young man with a bright future, remembered by his loved ones for his generous spirit and strong work ethic. At 20 years old, the Sumter, South Carolina native was a member of the National Honor Society and had plans to start college the following year. His mother, Jennifer Rawlins, recalled her last ordinary conversation with him on the night he died, a memory now precious.
His brother, Qumarion Geter, described Keywaun as "the realest person I know," someone who "would give you the clothes off his back." His family hoped people would remember him for his character, beyond the tragic circumstances of his death.
That tragedy unfolded on the night of October 6, 2026, in the parking lot of a Dollar General on Race Track Road in Sumter. At about 10:45 p.m., well after the store had closed, a violent encounter left Keywaun and another young man, 19-year-old Derek Parson, with fatal gunshot wounds. According to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, the incident was the result of a planned armed robbery. Investigators believe the meeting was arranged for the sale of illegal Glock switches, devices that can convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic one.
Deputies were first called to the scene after a passerby reported a car had crashed into a tree on Race Track Road. Inside the vehicle, they found Keywaun Clark, who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe he was trying to drive away when he was shot, causing him to crash. Shortly after, deputies were notified that two individuals with gunshot wounds had arrived at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in a private vehicle. One was Derek Parson, who died from his injuries after arriving. The other was 22-year-old Antwone De'Monta Dukes, who had been shot in the leg.
The investigation, led by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, quickly identified Dukes as the suspect. Authorities determined that Dukes had allegedly met with Keywaun with the "explicit intent" to rob him of the gun switches, which were later found in Keywaun's car. During the attempted robbery, investigators stated that Dukes shot both Keywaun and Derek Parson.
On October 7, 2026, Antwone De'Monta Dukes was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. It was noted by the Sheriff's Office that Dukes' father was a former Sumter County deputy and his uncle was a current deputy with the agency. Dukes was booked into the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, and during his initial court appearance, a magistrate judge denied him bond.
In the wake of the devastating loss, Keywaun's family was left to grieve a young man they described as having a promising and generous spirit. His mother expressed her profound pain, stating, "I just want the pain to stop and I don't know how to make it stop." The family urged the community to look past the details of the investigation and remember the kind and helpful person Keywaun was.
As of the latest available reports from October 2026, the case against Antwone Dukes was proceeding through the court system. The Sumter County Sheriff's Office asked for anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at (803) 436-2000 or to call Crime Stoppers.
