In the quiet town of Bishopville, South Carolina, a deeply unsettling act of violence shattered the community. On the evening of May 9, 2024, a home on Herbert Lane became the target of a relentless drive-by shooting. Inside, 9-month-old Benjamin Griffin III was with his mother and four other people. A staggering 49 bullets were fired into the residence, striking both the infant and his mother.
The sheer force of the gunfire also caused a fire to break out in the home.
Both Benjamin and his mother were rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. Tragically, after fighting for his life for nearly two weeks, the young boy, a male, succumbed to his injuries on May 22, 2024. His mother, who was shot multiple times, survived the horrific attack. The senseless death of a child who had not yet reached his first birthday sent shockwaves of grief and anger through the Bishopville community.
The investigation into the shooting led the Lee County Sheriff's Office to identify two brothers as the primary suspects: 27-year-old Roshad Wilson and 18-year-old Rayquawn Commander. Wilson was apprehended at his home, while Commander was located and taken into custody in Heflin, Alabama. The pair face a litany of serious charges, including one count of murder and thirteen counts of attempted murder, reflecting the number of individuals present in the targeted home and two other related shootings. They are also charged with discharging firearms into a dwelling and weapons possession.
Authorities revealed that Wilson and Commander are also the main suspects in two other drive-by shootings that occurred around the same time. One of these incidents took place on April 19, when a home on Raccoon Road, occupied by seven people, was shot at numerous times. Miraculously, no one was injured in that attack. The third shooting happened at a convenience store, and again, thankfully, resulted in no injuries. Investigators were able to connect the brothers to all three incidents through ballistics evidence from the firearms used. During a court appearance, Roshad Wilson was denied bail. In a poignant and heart-wrenching moment, the infant's father, Benjamin Griffin Jr., was given the opportunity to address one of the men accused of taking his son's life.
