07-05-2025
Conway NAACP calls on more policing, vigilance in wake of deadly shootings
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — Rattled by the random shooting death of a Loris basketball star and other acts of violence within and around Conway, community leaders on Wednesday pleaded with officials to step up policing efforts.
Ja'Niya Richburg was a 'young woman with a promising life cut down in a senseless act of violence,' Conway NAACP branch president Kenneth Floyd said in a church parking lot on Grainger Road, less than a half mile from where the 18-year-old was killed by a bullet that came through a home's window on April 30.
Authorities days later arrested Derrick Que'shawn Ashley, a 19-year-old Conway man, with murder.
'The question that we have to ask ourselves today is, 'what are we going to do about it,'' Floyd said. 'We can start by asking for more police presence in this area. It may not stop crimes, but it may deter it.'
Richburg ended her Loris High School career as the only player in Lions history to log 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She planned to attend the University of South Carolina this fall as a pre-med student.
'This young lady could have been anything she set her mind to, but that will not happen now as a result of this violence,' Floyd said. 'If we see something, then we must say something.'
Floyd said the NAACP plans to ask the police about creating a hotline for anonymous tips.
'This is our community, let's band together and not allow our community to be torn apart by guns and other acts of violence,' he said.
Floyd said he recently spoke with Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy, but didn't go into detail, adding that he expected an official statement by the city soon.
Officials say they're also anxious about what Memorial Day Bikefest could bring, as thousands of motorcyclists are expected on the Grand Strand May 23-26 in a state that now allows gun owners 18 and older to openly carry without permits.
'We're not against owning guns, but dealing with this open carry as we approach Memorial Day bike weekend, we saw what happened in Myrtle Beach prior to that,' said Conway NAACP branch first vice president Cedric Blain-Spain said, referencing an officer-involved shooting on Ocean Boulevard that left 10 people hurt and a Bennettsville man dead following a large disturbance.
'If we're already dealing with an officer-involved shooting, I have some serious concerns as it relates to Bike Week and other jurisdictions coming in,' Blain-Spain said. 'We have so much going on in the community. 'We have enough police out here that we don't need to be the wild, wild West.'
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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