Gunfire leaves 1 dead
Witness describes robbery attempt and shootout
By Andy Paras
The Post and Courier
A bullet hole marks the rear panel of a Pontiac Bonneville that also was splattered with blood and shattered glass. The car was parked on Ranger Drive during a North Charleston shootout Thursday.
A man lies dead in front of an abandoned house. A trail of blood dots the sidewalk and grass. A neighbor's Pontiac Bonneville is splattered with blood and broken glass, a bullet hole in its rear panel.
This was the aftermath of a pre-dawn shoot-out on Ranger Drive in North Charleston on Thursday. It left one man dead and another man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his arm.
D'Mario Brown, 24, of Johns Island, died of a single gunshot, said Dottie Lindsay, Charleston County deputy coroner.
Brown's body was found eight houses down from 2693 Ranger Drive, where North Charleston police said the first shot was fired. Police said he tried to rob the people inside around 7 a.m. Timothy King, an occupant of the house, exchanged fire with the gunman, police said.
King was wounded in the exchange, police said.
A female witness told The Post and Courier that King fired only after the gunman held her and others captive for as long as 15 minutes while demanding that the people inside the house give him money that was stolen from him.
Lakeasha Williams, the witness, said she and her 7-month-old daughter stopped outside of 2693 Ranger Drive to pick up her co-worker and the co-worker's daughter on their way to daycare and their jobs.
As they buckled the friend's child into the car, a man wearing a white T-shirt around his face appeared from behind the house and pointed a gun at them.
"The only thing you could see was his eyes." Williams said.
The man told the women to get into the house and leave the kids. Williams said they begged him to let them get the children, but he refused.
"He didn't want us to take the kids out of the car," she said. "He said the kids were going to be fine. He wasn't going to hurt any kids."
Williams' co-worker unlocked the door of the house and the three of them entered, waking King and a woman sleeping inside.
Williams said the man trained the gun on her co-worker and threatened to shoot her if the couple didn't give him the money that he said had been stolen from him.
The gunman rifled through the drawers inside the house, looking for the money, Williams said. This went on for about 15 minutes. She and her co-worker begged him to let them get their children.
He finally relented and let the women return to the car. Williams said she got into her car and started to secretly dial 911 on her cell phone while simultaneously unstrapping her daughter from the car. That's when she heard the first gunshot.
"I was trying to call 911 but I heard the gunshot, so I got out of the car because I thought he was shooting up in the air to scare us," she said. She looked up and saw the gunman running down the street. King was on the porch shooting at the gunman and the gunman was firing back, she said.
"We set off," she said. "I immediately threw my child back in the car. She had her child in her arms. We drove with her child in the front seat with us because we were trying to get out so quickly. The last thing I saw was the gunman running."
The gunshots — about six or seven in all — woke Frank Richard, who lives across the street.
"The guy across the street was walking around with a gun in his hand," Richard said. "I walked down the street and saw a guy on the ground. It's too close to home."
Spencer Pryor, public information officer for North Charleston police, said the shooting is still under investigation and no charges have been filed. Pryor said they're still trying to determine if King acted in self-defense.
Reach Andy Paras at aparas@postandcourier.com or 937-5589.
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TellingItLikeItIs79 (anonymous) says...
He should've stayed on John's Island.....
April 10, 2009 at 12:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hooveryankee (anonymous) says...
If ??? Hell break into my house and wake me up and you're damn right I'll shoot you. Nothing but self defense. What else could it be? CMON
April 10, 2009 at 12:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammanofdi (anonymous) says...
Shady,shady...
April 10, 2009 at 1:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sandnateater (anonymous) says...
Timothy King better watch out...D'(umb)Mario's posse will be coming to get you for killing their home boy. Oh the thug lifestyle; Gangsta Hip Hip music, 27" rims on a crown vic, bling and more bling, grills on the tooths, crack cocaine, hate for whites, no respect for the Law ........ and the list goes on and on. What a way to live, or die in this case....but no matter what, He was a good boy!
April 10, 2009 at 3:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasGuy71 (anonymous) says...
Was the now deceased (fortunately, for society) Mr. Brown acting alone or were there others acting as lookouts etc.?
April 10, 2009 at 4:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pirate42 (anonymous) says...
Walk into my home with a GUN let god sort it out.. that gunman will be DEAD...
April 10, 2009 at 4:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sig (anonymous) says...
Another scumbag the taxpayers do not have to pay for. I am sure there is more to the story. Homeowners have the right to protect theirselves and I am glad the homeowner did.
Now P&C tell the rest of the story!
April 10, 2009 at 5:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MRSCVS (anonymous) says...
I agree with all the above...
But I would love to hear the real details on what really led up to this.
Homeowner did what he had to do or else the story would have read "Homeowner killed by suspect".
JMO
April 10, 2009 at 6:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clemsurf (anonymous) says...
What's sad is they probably won't look at this as self defense because he didn't shoot the guy inside the house. He let him get down the street before shooting him, putting other people's lives at risk. The good thing is that we don't have to worry about our tax dollars paying for this criminal. You other thugs should take this as a lesson.
April 10, 2009 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCHoser (anonymous) says...
This is only the beginning! Next we'll be reading about Timothy King getting shot/killed. There is way too much missing information here, but something tells me that good ole' Tim is going to get into some trouble with the police. Especially if he grabbed his gun and started shooting after the other pos left and was down the street. Such a nice group of people...
April 10, 2009 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
onesidedsquare (anonymous) says...
i see why this made the new but why didn't the gunfire at hibben ferry apartments in mount pleasant not make it?
April 10, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flinsc (anonymous) says...
onsiededsquare,
When did that happen, and what is behind that story?
April 10, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
This was self defense. Onesideedsquare: This is typical P/C reporting.They only report certain crimes in certain areas.
April 10, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
whalernut (anonymous) says...
Home invasion gone bed.
April 10, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
One more piece of garbage off the streets.
April 10, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
FinallyME (anonymous) says...
sandnat is right, he was a good a boy. I don't know as much about gangsta music as sandnateater does but I'm guessing he/she has never heard one verse of any rap music because who puts 27's on a crown vic?? haha. You need an SUV for that size.
April 10, 2009 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kma71 (anonymous) says...
Williams said the man trained the gun on her co-worker and threatened to shoot her if the couple didn't give him the money that he said had been stolen from him.
Is this supposed to say the man turned the gun on her co-worker...?
April 10, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Whopper (anonymous) says...
The neighbor across the street shot him--it read like that at least. It was not his self-defense but he can defend the hostages and plead self-defense for others. Hopefully, they will not make the neighbor go through the ringer. He was much braver than those NY cops who were too scared to act for over an hour as a madman went on a shooting spree at the immigration center. And they get paid to be brave--not to chase non-violent criminals like Phelps. If the police were doing their jobs to get the scum off the street, there would be more shoot outs but instead the cops leave it to the homeowners to be brave and deal with the scum so get yourself a gun and protect your neighborhood.
April 10, 2009 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasGuy71 (anonymous) says...
Whopper, I'm not sure what story you were reading. The gunfire haapened at 2693 Ranger Dr., which is the house the suspect tried to rob. The occupant of 2693 Ranger, not a neighbor, exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect finally fell dead eight houses down when he ran away.
April 10, 2009 at 11:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wucherer (anonymous) says...
Ban Guns and only allow police officers to use them only. Repeal the 2nd Amendment and give the death penalty to those in the use of. Period. We are no longer a colony under threat of england or savages so the ownership are not required. Only those who are paranoid that the boogie man is coming to get them from under their bed. Arm the police and military and repeal the amendment.
April 10, 2009 at 12:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
wucherer: Dude, you got to be kidding me right??!?!?!
April 10, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyeinthesky (anonymous) says...
Comrade Wucherer.. r u thinking again??? There are laws against that! 2nd Amendment???... We will repeal all of the Amendments and heavily arm the military and disband the police... the well armed military will take care of all civil unrest. Sleep well tonight!
April 10, 2009 at 12:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCHoser (anonymous) says...
wucherer said: "We are no longer a colony under threat of england or savages so the ownership are not required."
ummmm...which rock have you been under??? Wake up and grow up, this in not fantasyland!
April 10, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clemsurf (anonymous) says...
wucherer you're an idiot. That is all.
April 10, 2009 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
huntersmom (anonymous) says...
Hey Finally ME,
Im not sure where you live, but there are crown vic's all over charleston with 26's and 28's on them. I know of 3 in the apartment complex where a friends of mine lives.
April 10, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammanofdi (anonymous) says...
Okay - there's definitely more to this story - expect the shooter to be arrested on a drug charge or something soon. 26+" rims are common all over the place, and Charleston is no different. A image search on google will show cars (not SUV's) with wheels up to 40". I don't know what rap music has to do with any part of this article. And lastly, I don't know these upstanding young men, but I am pretty sure that they don't care about the 2nd amendment giving them the right to own a gun.
April 10, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
malthus (anonymous) says...
It is terrifying that there are people like wucherer out there. Criminals will always gain access to guns. Drugs are illegal wucherer, have you seen that slow them down. What has always helped reduce crime is a responsible carry law. Criminals have to guess if a target is helpless or carrying a weapon they know how to use. About time for another ineffective democratic gun ban that does little more an inflate the prices of firearms for collectors who want to legally purchase more unusual and less useful firearms.
April 10, 2009 at 2:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wucherer (anonymous) says...
Just proves how childish and narrow-minded you individuals are and i sleep very sound sleep no thanks to gun toting crazies like yourself who mistakenly kills a family member instead. Theories are just that, theory and people narrow-minded with their boogie-man mentality will keep most in fear while the rest of us know the truth. Clemsurf it takes one to know one and its hilarious to know while those who will find madness and paranoid under rocks live less normal lifestyles. Enjoy your bunker mentality while the rest of us normal people laugh at you during these beautiful springtime weather. Ha Ha.
April 10, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USC_Alumni (anonymous) says...
I wonder if Mr. Timothy King is a convicted felon with a handgun? hmmmmmmmmmm
April 10, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHEFHODGES18 (anonymous) says...
ANYBODY CAN SEE THAT THIS WAS SELF DEFENSE. C'MON NOW...BE FOR REAL. IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO ROB ME AND AND THIER ALONE WITH A GUN AND I HAVBE A GUN, YOU CAN BET YOUR A** THAT THE ROBBER IS GOING TO GET SHOT. SELF DEFENSE OR NOT.
April 10, 2009 at 3:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
deeg9254 (anonymous) says...
WHY WASN'T CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST THE HOME OWNER FOR DISCHARGING A FIREARM IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIHGHBORHOOD. HE COULD HAVE EASILY SHOT AN INNOCENT PERSON. THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY THAN IS BEING TOLD... IT SEEMS AS THO THE ROBBER AND THE MAN WHO SHOT HIM KNEW EACH OTHER. WHY WOULD THIS YOUNG MAN GO TO THIS HOME AND DEMAND THE MONEY THAT WAS STOLEN FROM HIM
April 10, 2009 at 4:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
I'm SURE there is more to the story than is reported here. Clearly, these two have some "history" and it's quite possible that King is no angel either.
But, the facts seem clear that King was in his home (aka his castle) and this guy came in armed and threatened him and others. Castle doctrine...
Wucherer - I assume you don't believe in owning fire extinguishers either? I mean, you don't want a fire to happen so why have one right?
April 10, 2009 at 9:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rashaunaht (anonymous) says...
Sandnateater,
How pathetic of you to have to sterotype people because of this situation. It shows that ignorance and racism surely still exist. This crime could have been committed by anyone of anyone race, background,heritage, etc. People like you are so quick to place the blame on hip hop music, which if you knew anything, you would realize hip hop music is a genre of music that is listened to by all...it is not just a black or white thing. Rims, crown victorias and all the other nonsense you refered to are things that a vast array of people own. This was a terrible incident that happened and the sterotypes are just so uncalled for. God Bless you because you truly need it.
April 11, 2009 at 6:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SomeTruthPlease (anonymous) says...
Wucherer. Shut up. Go frolic through the daisies with your delusions of safety and visions of rainbows. The rest of us would rather be safe than sorry.
April 11, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kealy08 (anonymous) says...
First of all yall sound so d*** stupid saying that it is good that the man got shot first of all yall dont even know the whole story if someone took something from you im pretty sure yall would want to get it back to if yall listen sometimes before yall talk maybe the world would be a better place he did not have the right to shoot him if he was already out his house and maybe was never in there from the start if it was self defense should'nt he have gotten shot in the house and not 8 houses down it is not right how he got killed cause if that happened to someone you loved none of yall would be saying any of this s*** and it is not right to kill a man for trying to get his own possession back which was his I feel that this whole situation was wrong maybe he could have handle it better than he did but he did what came to his mind at the time that he was mad and im pretty sure everyone has done that before but it is sad to hear you grown a** people on here saying some of the most dumb stuff I have ever heard no one should lose there life like that I dont care what the situation is point blank!!!!!!!!!!
April 12, 2009 at 11:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
keekee1829 (anonymous) says...
First of all,
I have to address the ignorant people who is responding to this. Mario is someone husband,son,father,cousin,and etc. This is my first cousin husband,just imagine if this was your relative you would not be responding like this.
Instead of you XXXXasses offering words of incouragement to the family, you guys acting like yall was there. There is always 2 side to every story. If you take the time to read the so call facts, you would realize that their are some information missing. Did you even stop to think about where he was shot at? Also did he ever made it into the house? Also that the so called hostages, if they were held hostage. This just like black people always assuming the worst. Instead of you guys trying to get your life together. Always worrying about someone else. But you know I would like to say thank you to all the those who are praying for my family!!!!!! Once again thank you!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2009 at 7:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oatka (anonymous) says...
wucherer says "Ban Guns and only allow police officers to use them only."
I take it you live in the city, where police are only minutes away (when seconds count). What do you suggest I do in my rural area, where there are three deputies covering 1,400 square miles, and a Bad Guy breaks into my house?
Closer to home, what do YOU do when a bad guy breaks into your home, and you give him everything you have - and he wants more and/or he doesn't want to leave a witness?
It seems to me that depending upon overworked and underpaid civil servants for protection is not a good plan.
April 18, 2009 at 2:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wucherer (anonymous) says...
SomeTruthPlease
Your quote, Go frolic through the daisies with your delusions of safety and visions of rainbows. The rest of us would rather be safe than sorry.
So you want me to be like you looking over the shoulder, under the bed for the boogie man huh? Thanks but no thanks, i like keeping both my eyes and mind open to the real world. Thanks i enjoy it and know not everyone is forced to think like paranoid thoughts..wait what time is it? Now go take your medication like a good little boy and enjoy those government rations in your bunker.
April 21, 2009 at 4:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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