In eight hours, two men killed in separate shootings in Lexington County, cops say
Two men died in separate shootings Sunday in Lexington County, and a search for the killers is underway.
The most recent shooting happened early in the evening.
At about 5:25 p.m., officers responded to a shots fired call in the 100 block of Freedom Drive, according to the Lexington Police Department. That’s between U.S. 1/Augusta Road and Interstate 20, near Exit 58.
When they arrived, police said they found a man who had been fatally shot.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office is expected to publicly identify the shooting victim after notifying his family.
No other injuries were reported.
There is no word on a shooter, or shooters, or a motive for the gunfire.
Police Chief Terrence Green said there is no danger to the community. But no arrests have been reported by police, who continue to investigate the shooting, along with the coroner’s office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call police at 803-358-1514, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
About 8 hours earlier, in an unrelated shooting, 51-year-old James R. Metze died after he was shot in the upper body.
Metze’s body was discovered at a home in the 800 block of Meadowfield Road, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said. That’s in the Gaston area, near U.S. 321/Main Street.
Metze and his killer likely knew each other, according to the sheriff’s department.
“We have no reason to believe this was a random act,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in a news release. “Based on the information we’ve gathered at the scene, the victim likely had some sort of association with the shooter. They knew each other on some level or had some type of connection.”
Similar to the Freedom Drive shooting, the sheriff’s department said it doesn’t believe the gunman in the morning incident is a threat to the community.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
