Spike in violence worries locals
Sixth homicide victim in less than six months
By Brian Hicks
WALTERBORO — The sheriff's deputies got to the party a few minutes before midnight, just as the fight was breaking up.
Or so they thought.
The Post and Courier
A shotgun fired through this window killed Adela Pinckney in bed at her home just outside Walterboro.
A family had rented out the Colleton County rec center for a graduation shindig, and there were hundreds of kids milling about when an argument turned to a scuffle, the scuffle to a fight. The security firm on site kicked everyone out of the center, then called for backup to help clear the parking lot.
As the two deputies got out of their cruisers, the gunfire started — six or eight shots, there was too much confusion to count. Before the deputies could draw their own guns, two cars were speeding off into the country night.
In most towns this size, a tale of such brazen kids — willing to shoot at each other in plain view of law enforcement — might fuel local gossip for weeks, maybe months.
But, unfortunately, this community is becoming all too accustomed to violence.
Adela Pinckney
On Monday night, Adela "Nell" Pinckney, 39, was shot and killed while lying in her bed with her 11-year-old son, the victim of what may have been a drive-by shooting. A shotgun blast tore through her window, her headboard and hit her in the head. The boy was unharmed.
Pinckney is the sixth homicide victim in less than six months in a county normally so serene and peaceful they don't see near that many killings in an entire year.
People here are scared. They are afraid of going outside after dark, weary of talking publicly about the killings for fear of retribution from one of several gangs roaming the county.
"It's a bad neighborhood," said Donnie Harrison, standing near Pinckney's home. "The other night, a guy ran out across the street in front of me, and you could tell he was running for his life. It's gotten to where it's a weekly thing, a nightly thing."
This fear has put a damper on all efforts to solve Pinckney's slaying. Investigators say it could possibly be the work of gangs, a problem that has proliferated here in recent years. The Colleton County Sheriff's Office is working the case hard, and deputies are out patrolling the streets non-stop.
To offer tips
Anyone with information is asked to call Colleton County Sheriff's Office investigators at 549-1203. After hours, call 549-2211. Or phone the anonymous tip line at 549-6530.
Sheriff's Lt. Allen Inabinett said there have been no arrests in the case, and it doesn't help the investigation that so many people are frightened.
"It still looks like she was an innocent bystander," Inabinett said. "But if it turns out it was something else, people get worried about retribution. Citizens fear for their safety, and I respect that."
Out of the six killings here this year, a couple have been deemed domestic incidents. The rest are possibly gang related.
Doc Dougherty, director of parks and recreation in the county, said they haven't caught the kids behind the rec center shooting, but it's forced him to change the policy on renting the place out.
Dougherty said the problem here is guidance and discipline — most of the suspected gang members are kids who still live with their parents.
"If everybody made sure their kids came home without gunpowder on their hands, we'd be OK," he said.
In Pinckney's neighborhood, which is near the center of Colleton's problems, a lot of people have opinions but refuse to share them publicly. One clerk at a local convenience store, which some locals call "The Slab," said she heard the gunshot Monday night but didn't see anything. Another man, an acquaintance of Pinckney, said the crime rate is out of control.
But don't expect him to complain about it publicly.
David Bell, who can see Pinckney's house from his property, said he was recently attacked by a group of kids, some of whom were related to him. They hit him in the shoulder with a shovel, sending him to the hospital. He still doesn't know why.
"They're crazy, I guess," Bell said.
Like most people in this town, Bell is particularly upset by Pinckney's death. By all accounts she was not the kind of person to attract such trouble.
"She was a nice lady, as far as I know," Bell said. "Why kill somebody like that? I just can't see it."
Pinckney's visitation today at Koger's Mortuary Service is expected to be so crowded it has been scheduled from noon to 8 p.m., said Jeraldo Brown. Pinckney will be buried Friday.
"We've had lots of calls," Brown said.
That is the problem the Sheriff's Office faces. Everyone cares, and they want something done, but if they know anything they face a desperate struggle between outrage and self-preservation.
"This is a quiet, low-key place," Inabinett said. "This doesn't happen here. People are baffled."
That's absolutely right. This town is so quiet, so pristinely isolated, that Hollywood often calls on Colleton to film period movies.
But right now, some residents say Walterboro looks less like something out of "Forrest Gump" or "Radio," and more like a crime or horror film.
And they aren't happy about it.
Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com.
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Printer-friendly versionComments
wildbillz50 (anonymous) says...
"Make SURE they don't COME HOME with gunpowder on their hands ?!" CURFEW ! CURFEW ! CURFEW !
June 18, 2009 at 3:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Daniel (anonymous) says...
Colleton County needs extensively trained officers.... not just these Tom and Joes they are hiring off of the street. I think SLED needs to come in and take over.
June 18, 2009 at 6:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Daniel (anonymous) says...
Pokice officers have known about the "slab and the "block " for years. It is time to clean these drug infested areas up, but it is hard to do when the police officers are associates of the drug dealers. I know of a certain deputy who has SEVERAL new and expenvive vehicles and a HUGE multi sory home. All of this on the salary Colleton County pays their deputies (well below 40,000/ year)???? Hmmm. The state needs to come in undercover and catch these drug pushing deputies.
June 18, 2009 at 6:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
We said yesterday there was more to the story. And there is! Graduation party, guns, what the hell is going on in the black community that your kids bring guns to a graduation family outing?! What a screwed up bunch.
In Bible days the children that were an abomination to the parents were taken and stoned, TO DEATH!
I agree the police haven't done anything in years and the sheriff seems asleep at the wheel!
June 18, 2009 at 6:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I'm not at all surprised that the adults are afraid of their children anymore. Our culture has done its level best for the last 10 or 20 years to teach the children how special they are, how smart they are, and how equal they are. Whether by design or by accident, too many young people have little to no respect for authority in the form of a code of conduct or of a person.
June 18, 2009 at 7:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mb300sl (anonymous) says...
Drugs, guns, dirty cops...coddling criminals and other groups has gotten us to this point.
June 18, 2009 at 7:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mqc (anonymous) says...
Daniel, I understand what you are saying. I was parked in a grocery store parking lot the other day. A cop car was parked a few cars away. The cop pulled over one of the local pharmacist in training. At the same time, another trainee drove by on a bike. Not long after that, the two trainees were scoring with another one. Go figure! If the police are so poorly paid, how in the world to they afford all these finer things in life like fancy cars, boats, and houses.
June 18, 2009 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
June 18, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wildlife (anonymous) says...
THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS TO STOP THIS BLAME GAME AND PUT AN END TO THE FEAR. IF THE POLICE CAN'T DO THE JOB THEN PROTECT YOUR OWN. IT IS TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE. GET THE DIRTY COPS AND THE KIDS THAT ARE CAUSING THIS FEAR.
HOLD THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND PARENTS WILL START TO DO BETTER AT PARENTING OR WILL STOP HAVING CHILDREN!!!!!!!!! If it means putting parents in jail then do it.
June 18, 2009 at 9:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
Curfew? I disagree. Don't you want your children/grandchildren to grow up with the same freedoms you have?
I disagree with the training statement as well, no amount of training on the officers part could have prevented this exact event from happening.
I disagree with the "dirty cops" attitude as well, Just because the poor cop is in debt up to his neck, no reason to believe he has bought nice things with cash.
Policemen usually have to maintain a good credit score. Some policeman's wives make a very good living as well. My Friend's wife is an RN and makes about 3 times what he does.
This is the responsibility of the Parents. Two often we see parents that would rather be buddies to the kids instead of guiding parental figures. the result is a kid that grows up not respecting adults/authority figures. A kid on his way to raising their kids the same way.
The state needs stay out of family matters and start letting mothers and fathers smack their kids once in while when they are behaving badly.
Priest/pastors used to go out into the neighborhoods and speak with the youth, encouraging them to follow a good path, but more importantly helping them to realize they have a Self-concious. Now they just do their duty on Sunday.
Who were the parents that rented the hall?
I know if I rent a hall for my child and his/her friends I can be 100% positive no thugs would be allowed to attend.
June 18, 2009 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hwebster (anonymous) says...
"send lawyers, guns, and money"
love
Warren Zevon
June 18, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
maeko (anonymous) says...
@ Missing Home...sure, we can all agree that if parents and the community were more involved with raising children and they did all the responsible things we wished they would, gangs, violence, and general delinquency would be less of a problem.
the ugly truth is that it's not happening. no amount of complaining or hemming and hawing around the issue is solving the problem.
wildbillz is right about curfew...i think curfew for unsupervised minors helps. minors shouldn't be running around in public after 11:00pm without an adult present anyway. your own property or other private property with permission...fine. the streets...no.
June 18, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
moonpie, no where in the article does it connect the shooting with the graduation party. That was just a description one incident that happened in the community and how it is (sadly) becoming commonplace.
June 18, 2009 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yird (anonymous) says...
It's the mentality, Lovely_One.
June 18, 2009 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
It's the stupidity, yird.
June 18, 2009 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MountP (anonymous) says...
"cawencadence"
Is that a word????
www.tridentlit.org...seriously, take a minute and see what they have to offer.
June 18, 2009 at 12:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
Sry maeko, I think Wild bill is wrong.
Curfews Do not and have not solved problems.
How would a curfew have helped in this case (a graduation party))
Graduation party goers must be in by ten?
That just means the thugs will shoot the place up before 10:00 instead of midnight.
When I was a kid, this country was free.
June 18, 2009 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip-flops and fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.
We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.
We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.
We had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!
We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law suits.
We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents.
We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners catching us.
We walked to friends' homes.
We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of:They actually sided with the law.
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
And you're one of them. Congratulations!
Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.
For those of you who aren't old enough, thought you might like to read about us.
This my friends, is surprisingly frightening::and it might put a smile on your face:
June 18, 2009 at 1:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
The majority of students in universities today were born in 1986::..They are called youth.
They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and the Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel. They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or Belinda Carlisle.
For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.
AIDS has existed since they were born. CD's have existed since they were born.
Michael Jackson has always been white.
To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.
They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission Impossible are films from the last couple of years.
They can never imagine life before computers.
They'll never have pretended to be the A Team, RedHand Gang or the Famous Five.
They'll never have applied to be on Jim'll Fix It or Why Don't You.
They can't believe a black and white television ever existed. And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile phone.
Now let's check if we're getting old:
1. You understand what was written above and you smile.
2. You need to sleep more, usually until the afternoon, after a night out.
3. Your friends are getting married/already married.
4. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computers.
5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
6. You remember watching Dirty Den in EastEnders the first time around.
7. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the good Old days, repeating again all the funny things you have experienced together.
8. Having read this mail, you are thinking of forwarding it to some other friends because you think they will like it too:
Yes, you're getting old!!
June 18, 2009 at 1:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Also, keep in minds that every law enforcement agency in the area denied the existence of gangs in the area until sometime recently, within the last year I think.
June 18, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Yoopergirl (anonymous) says...
A couple of thoughts....
"Curfew? I disagree. Don't you want your children/grandchildren to grow up with the same freedoms you have?"
Those words have probably come out of the mouths of every parent who is letting their kids run free at night and causing these problems. Rules are good sometimes.
"cawencadence". Wow. I can't even....I don't have....just, Wow.
"where you from Connecticut?" That made me laugh. A lot. Thank you for that.
June 18, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lazy2009 (anonymous) says...
Man, we be living in a gangster's paradise.
June 18, 2009 at 4:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Takebackurcountry (anonymous) says...
I guess it was just "cawencadence" that I was involved in a discussion about the Charleston County School Board AND Trident Literacy today! That is funny stuff.
The people of Colleton County need to take back their streets themselves. They should also call SLED if they feel they have a real issue of dirty cops. Enough calls will prompt an investigation. Doesn't everyone have cell phones with cameras now? Document these "incidents" people have alluded to witnessing.
June 18, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Love2Laugh (anonymous) says...
"...what the hell is going on in the black community that your kids bring guns to a graduation family outing?! What a screwed up bunch..."- as stated by moonpie
While I understand your concerns as to why children would bring guns to a graduation party, I find it a tad bit on the ignorant side to suggest that this type of thing only happens in a black community. Extreme violence takes place in communities all across the country, not just black, white, hispanic, etc.
June 18, 2009 at 4:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
educ8edguy (anonymous) says...
Theronce, you hit the nail on the head. Our society has done its absolute best to ensure that kids feel like they are equals with their parents and other adults, so much so that many of them hardly know how to act any other way. On a much smaller scale (no firearms prominently involved), I see it all the time with my daughter's friends. All of them 10, 11, and 12 year olds who have no respect for their own parents, much less my wife, myself, or any other adult including their teachers. Of course, a lot of that can be blamed on parents who would rather be their kid's friend that their parent.
June 18, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TheTruthFighter (anonymous) says...
I know one thing, they better get this under control ASAP - If not, you will have another Newark, NJ and trust me, yall don't want that here in the South.
June 18, 2009 at 6:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
adammorales85 (anonymous) says...
It is easy for citizens to stand back and blame law enforcement for the recent spike in criminal activity in Walterboro. Being a member of law enforcement and a former citizen, I know that it is not as simple as many people believe. Whether it has publicly been admitted or not, anyone who has lived in the area within the last 10 years knows that there has been a drug/gang problem for quite some time now. The fact that this issue has not been properly addressed has sparked an increase in such events. People in the community can stand back and point fingers or post derogatory comments about law enforcement all day long, but that will not resolve the problem.
What some of us fail to realize is that in every law enforcement agency, there is a ranking structure or "chain of command" if you will. Anyone that has spent any amount of time in law enforcement knows that orders come from the top. Every Deputy/Officer that is out patrolling the streets within the community has orders. They are given specific assignments, areas to patrol, as well as areas to stay away from. Is there possibly a few corrupt officers/deputies on the streets in Walterboro? Im sure there is, however, that does not speak for every officer employed by the agency. In order to see any change in the way law enforcement is carried out in Walterboro, it has to start from the top. There needs to be an appointed official in the right positions ie:(chief/sheriff/Mayor) that have the backbone, dedication, and drive that it takes to face the "brunt of the storm." Those people also have to take the responsibility of putting seasoned, educated, and professional officers in the important command staff positions, ie:(Captains/Lieutenants/Sergeants.) The people appointed to these crucial positions must then be willing to give the orders necessary to take back the streets of Walterboro and surrounding community. These people should be focused on working together towards this common goal, and a little less focused on the upcoming election or popular vote. These officials should be steadfast in this goal, and stand behind their patrol officers/deputies. With the right people in place, those officers that are in fact corrupt or "crooked" would eventually be weeded out...
June 18, 2009 at 9:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
adammorales85 (anonymous) says...
Unfortunately none of these things can be accomplished without the support of the community as a whole. Lawsuits, public scrutiny, and politics have taken away the power necessary for law enforcement officers to do the job at hand. At the end of the day, the community is responsible for putting the right people in office. People that are willing to do what is necessary. The community is also responsible for standing behind their officials and officers, and entrusting them with the power to take back the streets of Walterboro. Citizens have to understand that it would in fact be a "war" and that things would probably get worse before they got any better. It would require uses of force, selective enforcement, and patrol saturation of crime specific areas. It would require officers to rise to the level of the opposition that they are faced with, and unfortunately they would not have the luxury of being "nice" while doing it. Until the community as a whole are willing to do what is necessary, nothing can be accomplished. For all those that live in Walterboro, we have to remember that these changes cannot come over night, but Walterboro can get back to being the same quiet and peaceful town that it used to be.
June 18, 2009 at 9:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
membermike (anonymous) says...
thank u cp&c 4 the ghetto update & the current conditions......
June 19, 2009 at 2:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
To Yoopergirl:
"Those words have probably come out of the mouths of every parent who is letting their kids run free at night and causing these problems. Rules are good sometimes."
Maybe so, But not by this parent.
Some food for thought,
A wise American once said, "those willing to sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither".
June 19, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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