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Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place in Lancaster County last Sunday (March 9, 2025).
On the day of the incident, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies received a 911 call from a man saying he shot and killed a woman and her child, according to a news release from the statewide agency. Tracing the call, deputies responded to a home on Mosteller Drive – approximately four miles east of Lancaster, S.C. – and encountered a man armed with a handgun.
Following an exchange of gunfire, the man – later identified by the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office as 24-year-old Jacob Tyler Sobieraj – was shot by deputies. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to SLED, deputies located the mother and child – both of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital for treatment, however the child succumbed to injuries sustained during the shooting. The mother remains at the hospital where she continues to receive treatment for her injuries.
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SLED investigates officer-involved shootings as a matter of protocol in the vast majority of local law enforcement jurisdictions in the Palmetto State – presenting investigative reports to the solicitor with jurisdiction over the county or municipality where the shooting transpired.
Per the agency, its goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as timely as is possible under the circumstances, interviewing all potential witnesses. Additionally, SLED will collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed. Information gathered during the course of the investigation will be summarized in a case file report submitted to prosecutors.
Sunday’s incident marks South Carolina’s seventh officer-involved shooting so far in 2025 – and the first in Lancaster County. In 2024, South Carolina had a total of 45 officer-involved shootings – none in Lancaster County. A record 49 officer-involved shootings occurred in 2017 – a mark which was matched in 2020.
Count on this media outlet for more information pertaining to this case as it becomes available from SLED.
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THE RELEASE…
(SLED)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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