FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements and others spoke at a news conference outside the courthouse following the sentencing of 79-year-old Fred Hopkins to life in prison for killing two law-enforcement officers and wounding several others in Florence County more than five years ago.

Hopkins killed Florence County Sheriff’s Office investigator Farrah Turner and Florence Police Officer Terrence Carraway. He also wounded five others.

The news conference followed an afternoon filled with testimony from victims, relatives and others involved in the investigation of the shooting that happened on Oct. 3, 2018, at Hopkins’ home in the Vintage Place neighborhood.

The attorney for Carraway’s family read the following statement from their family at the news conference.

“On Oct. 3, 2018, our beloved Terrence Carraway senselessly lost his life as he answered a call to protect and serve. Since that day, we have been awaiting justice for Terrence and all those officers involved in that fatal shooting. Today, we are proud to know that his legacy will live on forever in the hearts of our family, this community, and the entire nation. We stand together convinced more than ever that his death was not in vain. And more importantly, we want the defendant in this case to understand that his inhumane act has taken away a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend, and a mentor to hundreds of people.”

“This defendant is an evil man who has shown no remorse for his actions, but Terrence has groomed this family to continue his legacy because he is an ultimate protector and his courage in answering the call on that day continues to inspire the world even after his death. We are a praying family and we trust in the criminal justice system while knowing that God is the ultimate judge. We agree that this guilty plea is more efficient than seeking the death penalty so we would like to thank the solicitor’s office and all those in law enforcement who assisted in bringing about the guilty plea this afternoon. We are grateful for the outpouring of support that so many people have given us during this challenging time. Every prayer and every kind gesture has not gone unnoticed.”

“We are proud of Terrence’s commitment to serve and know that he continues to inspire even after this sentencing today. May God bless all who has been inspired by Terrence and know that we will continue to embrace his life and work to make our community better through the Terrence Carraway Foundation. We are and will forever be ‘CarrawayStrong.’ Thank you.“

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