No charges in shooting death

No charges will be filed against a man who admitted he shot and killed another man in a gun battle on a McClellanville road Wednesday, authorities said.

"We talked to the solicitor's office last night," Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said Thursday. "From what we got at the scene, it appears at this point that it was self-defense. Unless something new comes out, that's where it stands."

An autopsy performed Thursday revealed that Patrick Young, 25, of McBride Road, died of two gunshot wounds, Charleston County Deputy Coroner Dottie Lindsay said. An incident report said he was shot in the head and the chest.

Charleston County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to McBride Road about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man having been shot.

When the first deputy arrived he saw a man lying in the road with a woman giving him CPR. A black shotgun was lying next to him, according to the incident report.

Here's how events unfolded leading up to the shooting, according to the incident report:

--Young was at home with his father when the telephone rang; Young answered the phone and left the house.

--A short time later, the phone rang again and it was Young, who told his father, "I'm gonna kill Charlie."

--Young's father heard gunfire and went outside, where he saw "Charlie" down by his house and his son, Patrick, standing in the road.

--The father heard another gunshot and saw his son fall to the ground.

Investigators quickly located the man known as "Charlie," who was standing in front of his house with his rifle nearby. He told them he had shot Young because Young was shooting at him. "I'm not running," he told deputies.

Charlie was identified in the report as James Edward Williams Sr., 55, of 1111 McBride Road.

He was taken into custody Wednesday night because of an outstanding Family Court warrant, said Maj. John Clark, public information officer with the Sheriff's Office.

When investigators examined all the evidence and witness statements, they decided Williams had acted in self-defense, Clark said.

Reach David W. MacDougall at macdougd@postandcourier.com or 937-5655.