In the early morning hours of July 22, 2023, a party on South Towers Street in Anderson, South Carolina, turned deadly. Derrick Lamar Wiley, Sr., a 26-year-old Black/African American man known to his loved ones as 'Droc,' was in attendance at the large gathering. An altercation broke out, and in the ensuing violence, Wiley was shot multiple times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but the medical staff were unable to save him, and he succumbed to his injuries around 3:35 a.m.
The coroner's preliminary investigation confirmed that Wiley's death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
The Anderson Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led to the identification of two suspects. On July 31, 2023, authorities arrested 21-year-old Jiyion Sytavious Mattison and 22-year-old Teondez Draquandais Crocker in connection with Wiley's death. Both men were taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Derrick Lamar Wiley, Sr., born on July 20, 1997, was a father to a young son, Zay'Shawn Wiley. Following the passing of his own father, he was raised by his grandmother, Dell McDonald. His death was deeply felt by his family and the community. Funeral services were held on July 30, 2023, at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Starr, South Carolina, with his burial following at Mt. Able Baptist Church Cemetery in Pendleton.
