17-year-old charged in shooting

Lexington, S.C. – Deputies have charged a 17-year-old male in connection with a weekend shooting in Swansea.

The accused shooter, whose name will not be released because he’s under the age of 18, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, armed robbery, discharging a firearm into a vehicle, unlawful possession of a pistol and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants.

“The 17-year-old and a co-defendant we’re still working to identify and locate arranged to sell a handgun Friday night,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “The shooting happened after the co-defendants took the money from the would-be buyers.”

The underage suspect turned himself in at the Sheriff’s Department Sunday, according to Koon. He’s being held in the Lexington County Detention Center after a magistrate judge denied him bond.

“This case brings to mind the importance of safety when it comes to completing a sale arranged online,” Koon said. “Meeting people you don’t know in a location that’s not well-lighted can be dangerous. Meeting buyers or sellers in a law enforcement facility parking lot is always going to provide a layer of security.”