A group of nine teenagers in South Carolina faces charges for allegedly conspiring to attack a fellow teen (Trey Wright) Almost twelve teenagers ambushed and killed a boy, filmed the act: District Attorney “over a girl.” The incident tragically resulted in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy. Police report that the victim was led to the scene with the aid of his girlfriend and others involved, one of whom captured the event on video.
“It’s hard to refute what is clearly visible to us,” stated Maj. Mike Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff’s Office in an interview with CBS affiliate. “There are posts on social media, and there’s audio and video evidence,” he added.
Details reveal that Devan Raper, 19, is accused of executing the shooting on June 24 in Johnsonville. He allegedly shot Trey Wright, a local teen, and left him on First Neck Road, as per the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities claim Gianna Kistenmacher, 17, Wright’s own girlfriend, assisted in luring him to the location where he was killed by Raper.
A total of eight individuals have been charged in the case with four having posted bail last week. Raper and another individual remain in custody without bond. Kistenmacher now faces more serious charges, upgraded to murder from accessory before the fact.
“My son didn’t deserve any of what happened to him,” said Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, in an interview with WBTW following the charges against the teens. “He was a rare soul who brought happiness to others, spreading joy with his kind-hearted nature,” Lindsey shared.
Police say Raper showed up to meet Wright that Tuesday night and got into a “verbal altercation” with him before the shooting occurred. The other defendants allegedly helped coordinate everything and were “complicit in bringing the armed codefendant, Raper, to the incident location and knowing that there would be a confrontation,” per Nunn.
“They knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him,” Nunn added.
Deputies found Wright “laying in the roadway” with multiple gunshot wounds at around 11:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said in a press release. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
“This was an altercation between two people,” Sheriff TJ Joye told local CBS affiliate last month after Raper and Kistenmacher were arrested. “They had issues with each other and it was over a female,” Joye said. “The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”
Police say three of the others who have been charged — Sydney Kearns, 17; Corrinne Belviso and Hunter Kendall, both 18 — allegedly helped Raper by bringing him to meet Wright knowing he had a loaded firearm and wanted to kill him, cops say. At least one of them recorded the incident, but officials have not said who.
“A lot of times the people involved record the event,” Nunn said. “So that takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.”
Online court records show at least four of the defendants were released last week after posting bond, including Belviso and Kearns. Raper is being held at the Florence County Detention Center. Kistenmacher is out on bond as she awaits a bond hearing.
Wright, who was a high school student in Florence School District 5, was described as a “kind soul who touched so many lives,” according to a GoFundMe.
A friend of Wright’s, Ethan Kirby, told WBTW that Wright and Raper had hung out in the past and were allegedly pals.
“It’s an unreal act that we never thought could happen to Trey,” Kirby said. “Honestly, I’m in disbelief at what’s happened right now.”
Also Read: Noah Presgrove Announcement May Finally Solve Teen’s Mysterious Death
