29-04-2025
‘It's not fair': Residents rattled after the death of 5-year-old in Greenville County shooting
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — An Upstate community is mourning the death of child who was died in a shooting on Friday.
According to deputies with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the shooting took place at the Belle Meade Apartments on Fleetwood Drive around 5:30 p.m.
The violence has rattled residents and shaken their sense of safety.
The apartment complex entrance is now a memorial filled with balloons, flowers and stuffed animals, mourning 5-year-old Brite Acoy, who was killed in the shooting.
'This is a nice place to raise your children — what are we to think?,' a nearby neighbor, Arabia McMahan asked. 'I am afraid. I have never been more afraid in my life. I have been here five years, I have never had to fear for my sons safety.'
Brite's twin brother remains in the hospital in critical condition. The child and another person were injured in the shooting.
'Can you just imagine as a 5-year-old what you are doing, what you are thinking?' McMahan said. 'You're supposed to be happy, carefree, you know what I'm saying. You are coloring. You are just oblivious to the BS.'
Several neighbors said many children constantly run and play at the apartment complex, but on Friday, many were left running for their lives.
'The next thing you know — we are all running back into our apartments because they are still shooting,' McMahan recalled. 'Y'all are still shooting. Y'all did not stop. You did not stop. You had time to think about it. You looked at us and you kept shooting.'
McMahan said children are left scared following the shooting.
'My son does not want to go near any open windows,' McMahan said. 'He wants the blinds closed. He can't be in any room by himself. He is everywhere that I am at. If anything falls on the floor or the neighbor drops something, he flinches in his sleep. He is scared.'
On Monday, investigators with the sheriff's office were at the scene, still searching for answers.
Community members are crying out for justice as well.
'That's all we have been talking about is how afraid we are because some of these animals are still on the street and yes I said animals because if you can just shoot out in the open and you don't care about anybody or nothing — you are an animal,' McMahan said.
Three arrests have been made in connection to the shooting.
Investigators have charged 31-year-old Shawnteza Sherman with murder and two counts of attempted murder, a 16-year-old faces similar charges as well as a weapons charge and another juvenile has been charged with a weapons-related offense.
Neighbors nearby said the shooting was uncalled for.
McMahan said she is dealing with the aftermath of witnessing the tragedy. She said students, many of whom are in elementary school, are speaking with counselors.
Some children are still too shaken up to eat.
'I am a mother,' McMahan said. 'I am hurt. I am pissed. I have been crying. I am pissed again. I can't do my homework. I am a full-time student. I am a full-time mother. You know what I'm saying. Everybody is not on that. We are really trying to make a living for our children. It's not fair — don't come here with that.'
The sheriff's office is still investigating the shooting at this time. It is unclear if deputies are looking for any additional suspects.
If you have any information regarding the shooting, officials ask that you contact Crime Stoppers of Greenville at (864) 23-CRIME.
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