In a tragic turn of events on the evening of October 12, 2024, a 52-year-old man, Paul “Tony” Malphrus, was fatally shot in the Lakes of Summerville subdivision in Summerville, South Carolina. The incident unfolded when Malphrus and another man, who were riding their bicycles, stopped to help a woman whose small dog was reportedly being attacked by a pit bull.
The woman was trying to get into her home to escape the dog when Malphrus and the other bicyclist intervened, using their
bikes to create a barrier between the woman and the aggressive animal. As the woman reached her front door and called for help, a man, later identified as 30-year-old Adonis Malone, opened the door and fired a handgun multiple times. Malphrus was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene, found lying near the front door of the residence with multiple gunshot wounds.
Following an investigation by the Summerville Police Department, Adonis Malone was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. According to affidavits, Malone's girlfriend, the woman who was being helped by Malphrus, told him to stop shooting and then administered aid to the victim. Malone was later released from the Al Cannon Detention Center after posting a $75,000 bond.
