On the evening of July 25, 2024, in Lincolnville, South Carolina, a sequence of events unfolded that tragically ended the life of 18-year-old Thaao Elijah Stevens of Summerville. Charleston County Sheriff's Office deputies were initially called to the intersection of Mill Street and Dunmeyer Hill Road shortly before 8 p.m. for what appeared to be a single-vehicle accident. Upon their arrival, they discovered a vehicle that had crashed head-on into a piece of construction equipment.
Inside the vehicle was the unresponsive male driver, later identified as Stevens, who was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the apparent accident quickly turned into a homicide investigation. Detectives determined that two individuals, Tijaye Lebron Carmichael, 18, and Donte Tyrell Wright, 19, both from Ladson, had arranged to meet with Stevens through the social media platform Instagram. The pretense for this meeting was the purchase of marijuana. However, during the encounter, one of the suspects allegedly attempted to rob Stevens at gunpoint.
As Stevens attempted to flee the robbery in his vehicle, one of the suspects fired into the car, striking and fatally wounding him. This led to him losing control of his vehicle and crashing. Following the investigation, both Tijaye Lebron Carmichael and Donte Tyrell Wright were arrested on October 22, 2024. They have both been charged with murder, armed robbery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
