A 15-year-old has been detained and the woman who has custody of him has been arrested after another 15-year-old was fatally shot at a home in Walhalla, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
What happened
Thaddaeus Justice Terezakis, 15, of Westminster, was shot on Thursday, Oct. 8, at a home on Sherwood Drive in Walhalla, according to an arrest warrant. He was taken to a hospital in Greenville, where he died that afternoon, Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis said.
After an autopsy on Friday, the coroner ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators say shooting was an accident
Investigators believe the other teen took a 9mm Taurus handgun from under a pillow in his bedroom. While he was handling it, the gun went off and hit Thaddaeus, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies believe the shooting was accidental, but say the teen was careless in how he handled the gun.
Teen detained
The 15-year-old, who has not been named because of his age, was detained on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was taken to a South Carolina Department of Corrections juvenile facility in Columbia.
The sheriff’s office said it spoke with the 10th Circuit Solicitor’s Office before detaining him.
Guardian charged
Deputies also arrested Davina Jill Brown, 33, of Walhalla, on Friday. The sheriff’s office said Brown is a relative of the teen and has custody of him.
Brown is charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm. According to the sheriff’s office, she allowed the teen to have a 9mm handgun and, knowing he had it, did not take proper steps to prevent something from happening.
Brown was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center. Information about her bond was not available.
The sheriff’s office says the investigation is still ongoing.
Brown and the teen are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
Source: Oconee County Sheriff’s Office; Oconee County Coroner’s Office, as reported by The State