In the early morning hours of December 17, 2023, a dispute between two rival groups in the parking lot of a Ridgeland, South Carolina sports bar escalated into a fatal shooting that claimed the lives of 24-year-old twin brothers, Trajaan and Tranquan Fripp. The incident, which also left two other individuals injured, unfolded at the Sports Baba Bar located in the Riverwalk Business Park.
Trajaan Fripp was pronounced dead at the scene, while his brother, Tranquan, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
The investigation into the double homicide was taken over by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division due to the victims and potential suspects residing outside of Jasper County. Their investigation led to the identification and arrest of three men from Beaufort. The first arrest was made on December 20, 2023, when Jamar Smith-Hagood, 23, was taken into custody. Subsequently, on January 26, 2024, 26-year-old Andrew Lee Grober II was arrested. The third suspect, 28-year-old Tayquan G'Mel Lampkin, was apprehended on February 2, 2024.
All three men face a string of charges, including two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. According to arrest warrants, the shooting was captured on surveillance video from a nearby business. The footage, along with witness statements, implicated Lampkin, Smith-Hagood, and Grober in the altercation and subsequent gunfire. The case is set to be prosecuted by the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office, and the three accused are being held at the Jasper County Detention Center.
