SPARTANBURG, S.C. — South Carolina authorities are searching for suspects after two teens died and a third was injured in a shooting outside a Cook Out.
The shooting happened on Halloween night in Spartanburg, located about 80 minutes east of the South Carolina-Georgia border.
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Spartanburg Police Chief Art Littlejohn said officers responded around 11:30 p.m. to reports of multiple shots fired and found two people with gunshot wounds in the parking lot.
Police took a 15-year-old and 17-year-old to hospital, where they later died, Littlejohn said. A third person who was shot went to a hospital with a family member. Littlejohn said that person’s injuries were not life-threatening.
WRDW reports the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 15-year-old Jayden Marek Watson and 17-year-old Shane Carter Dawkins.
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Littlejohn said many young people were in the area after Halloween and some had costumes on. When the shots were fired, people ran for safety, ran to their cars and tried to drive out of the parking lot, Littlejohn said.
“It was kids here, quite a few kids, here having a good time after Halloween, just talking, having conversations, seeing their friends,” Littlejohn said. “And yes, it was chaos, unfortunately.”
Littlejohn said he had no indication the shooting started inside the restaurant. The victims were found in the parking lot.
Police have not made any arrests and have not identified a suspect or suspects. Anyone who was there or saw what happened to urged to contact Spartanburg Police Department.
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