Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect new crime information News13 obtained after the original time of publication.
FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — A slew of gun violence over the weekend in Florence has pushed the overall region past 100 shootings in 2022, according to an ongoing crime analysis from News13.
The study encompasses calls of shots fired within News13’s coverage area, which includes Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Darlington and Dillon counties in South Carolina, and Robeson and Scotland counties in North Carolina.
There were eight shootings on Saturday and Sunday — seven of them deadly, and leading to the deaths of at least three children. Of the deadly shootings, three were within the Florence Police Department’s jurisdiction, one was in the Florence County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, one was in Dillon County, one was in Myrtle Beach and one was within the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office’s jurisdiction.
So far in April, there have been 28 shootings, leading to 13 people dead and 14 injured. Of those, one person died in an officer-involved shooting, and two suspects in another shooting were killed. Fourteen of those shootings can be considered solved by either an arrest or the death of a suspect.
Among those who died over the weekend are:
- Dairyont’ae Thurston Shaw, 17, of Florence, who was killed Saturday in Florence
- Larry Dontaye Joyner, 37, of Florence, who was killed Saturday in Florence
- Barry Dunham, of Dillon County, who was killed Saturday outside a nightclub in Dillon County
- An 11-year-old victim whose name has not been released, who was killed Sunday in Scranton
- Dy’Quayon Dickens, 17, of Florence who died Sunday in Myrtle Beach
- Benjamin Willie Dixon, 32, of Florence who was killed Sunday in Florence
- Patrick L. Maynor, 52, of Pembroke, who was killed Sunday in Pembroke
An eighth shooting led to one person being shot multiple times, according to authorities. The shooting happened in the 1000 block of Carver Street — the same location as a deadly shooting earlier that day.
The Myrtle Beach shooting on Sunday — which killed one person and injured three others — all involved people from the Florence County area, according to Myrtle Beach police.
On Saturday, Florence police said that 39-year-old Randolph Eugene Smith was taken into custody after killing his neighbor, 37-year-old Larry Dontaye Joyner, in the 1100 block of Brunwood Drive.
Smith is accused of asking Joyner to go to the store for him. When Joyner refused, Smith shot him while he was still seated in his vehicle, according to police. Smith reportedly left the scene in Joyner’s car.
In Pembroke, Noah C. Maynor, 20, of Pembroke, was arrested after shooting and killing his father, Patrick Maynor, according to authorities. Patrick Maynor, who was found dead in the front yard of a home, had also been stabbed.
Earlier in the month, Shavaris McShan and Rajae Quick, both 27-year-olds from Florence, were killed after shooting each other in a car, according to authorities. A woman who was driving the vehicle was also injured. There were two children inside the car at the time. They were not injured.
In April 2021, there were 28 shootings, and 115 total by April 25, 2021.
So far this year, there have been 104 shootings. Of those, 17 have been within the Florence Police Department’s jurisdiction, and 10 have been within the Florence County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. This year’s crime violence has mostly clustered in the Florence area. Last year, the shootings were mostly in the Darlington and Dillon county areas.
This year in Florence, some small streets have seen multiple shootings. Waverly Avenue, which is a mile long, has seen two — a Jan. 2 shooting that killed 26-year-old Joshua Dequan Brogsia and an April 4 shooting that led to a home being hit by bullets. Near Mullins Street, which is 750-feet long, Daquan Market Brown was arrested after police said he shot at a person, and a shooting on March 1 led to two people being sent to the hospital.
April’s gun violence has claimed more lives than any other month this year.
If the shootings continue, it will be the first month in 2022 that surpassed the number of shootings that happened at the same time in 2021.
As of April 25, there had been at least one shooting on 13 days of the month.