Man charged in ‘negligent and unintentional’ shooting of Walterboro teen

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCBD) – A man is facing charges in connection with the deadly shooting of a 15-year-old at a Walterboro apartment complex.

Officers with the Walterboro Police Department responded to the Forest Pointe Apartments on Sunday and found the teenage victim suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

While law enforcement said they made attempts to save the teen, he did not survive and died at the scene.

An investigation into the deadly shooting found that the gunshot wound was caused by the negligent and unintentional discharge of a firearm, and the person responsible, 18-year-old Emmanuel Buckner, now faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

According to police, Buckner was found on a bed in the backroom of the apartment in the moments leading up to the incident. The investigation found that he had been handling a long rifle while the juvenile victim was playing a video game.

“While handing the firearm, Buckner negligently discharged the firearm into the juvenile victim, causing a fatal wound,” police said.

Buckner left the scene before law enforcement arrived. Officials said that despite other occupants of the apartment being either friends or family of the victim, they were uncooperative with law enforcement and offered little information.

Police said enough information was gathered in the days following the shooting to identify and charge Buckner in the shooting.