What started as a call about a wreck near a Krispy Kreme in Florence on Sunday afternoon turned into a gunfight that left the driver dead.
West Florence Fire Rescue was first sent to the area for a reported crash, but crews learned on the way that someone inside the vehicle was shooting. Florence County deputies responded to an active shooter call on West Lucas Street, where they found the vehicle overturned in a ditch along a frontage road.
According to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the man kept firing and ignored deputies’ commands to surrender. Deputies shot him. EMS took him to a hospital, where he later died.
Sheriff TJ Joye said in an update Monday that he didn’t know how the deputy involved wasn’t killed. No deputies were reported injured.
The man has not been publicly identified. Florence County Coroner Keith Von Lutcken said he is waiting to hear from the man’s family before releasing his name. The Post and Courier reported he was suspected in earlier shootings, though officials have not shared details.
Joye asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to lead the investigation, which is standard in shootings involving officers. This is the fourth shooting involving the Florence County Sheriff’s Office this year, compared with one in 2025.
Source: Florence County Sheriff’s Office; Florence County Coroner, as reported by WMBF and The Post and Courier
