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In response to a worsening violent crime wave that has tormented Colleton County, South Carolina for years, local law enforcement and community leaders will provide an update on their efforts to combat violence in and around the ‘Front Porch of the Lowcountry’ later this month.
It’s no secret that the town of Walterboro, S.C. holds a special place in this media outlet’s heart. FITSNews spent six weeks covering the double homicide trial of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, proceedings which – as it happened – were tangentially tied to a local gang known as the Cowboys (one of the loose ends to this ongoing crime and corruption saga).
Accordingly, we’ve covered the deterioration of public safety in Walterboro extensively in recent years (here and here) – chronicling erupting spasms of gang violence across the region which have resulted in numerous fatalities.
Just last month, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) announced it was investigating reports of a homicide following a drive-by-shooting that left an adult male deceased in the backyard of the residence.
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RELATED | WALTERBORO CRIME WAVE
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Last summer, CCSO issued a news release related to three shooting incidents that took place on Saturday, June 1, 2024 and Sunday, June 2, 2024 in and around Walterboro. Multiple additional reports of shots being fired in the Walterboro area were reported over the same time period – from that Saturday evening into that Sunday morning – but no information was immediately available related to those incidents.
These are just a few examples of the crimes that occur in Walterboro – many of which have lead citizens to reach out to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for assistance.
“We are being held hostage in our own homes while these gangs shoot up houses, cars, each other and innocent residents,” one citizen told us. “We try to stay in internal rooms or the back of our houses to avoid a stray bullet.”
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Citizens have begun gathering in churches and libraries in the hopes of creating an action plan – but this month, local political, municipal and law enforcement leaders will gather to “provide updates on what your local law enforcement are doing to combat violence and how YOU can help.”
According to a flyer (.pdf) provided to this media outlet, there will be an open question-and-answer session following the presentation – which will include representatives of the Colleton County GOP and Democrat parties, the City of Walterboro, the local NAACP as well as multiple local law enforcement agencies.
This month’s event will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025 at the Colleton Civic Center. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. EDT with the meeting scheduled to begin half an hour later, at 6:00 p.m. EDT. For those who cannot attend, the event will be live-streamed on CCSO’s Facebook page.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of the latest developments in Colleton’s bid to address the rising Lowcountry violence…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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