‘You’re a coward’ Sheriff addresses those involved in Richland County park shooting

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - The Richland County sheriff gave new details about a mass shooting on Saturday, where 11 people were hurt after shots were fired at Meadowlake Park.

Sheriff Leon Lott said people with guns could be seen wearing masks creeping around corners and shooting into a crowd of teens and young adults.

“Shoot girls in the back while they’re running away. You’re a coward.” he said. “The audio of the shooting is something that would scare you to death. It’s something that you would hear out of Iraq Afghanistan or probably even Ukraine.”

Lott is referring to audio from a video shot by a party goer, trying to run from the gunshots.

The sheriff said multiple people were firing guns and at least one of those weapons an automatic.

“At least 50 rounds were fired,” he confirmed.

W.J. Keenan High School had their prom earlier on Friday night, but Lott said students from all over the county were at the party — which he referred to as a “flash party.”

“We’ve been experiencing this now for about a year and a half,” Lott said. “Where it’s put out on social media, everybody shows up at a different location and then you have lots of people show up.”

Lott said flash parties will have about 100 to 200 kids to show up from schools across the Midlands and further. Saturday’s party started at an AirBnB then went to another park before ending up at Meadowlake Park, he added.

“That’s not the problem. The problem is when you have people who are not in school and they show up to cause problems,” Lott said.

Misquise Fulwiley, 19, and TyQuan Kelly, 18, were both arrested after the shooting. They were seen by deputies trying to drive off from the party while tossing a gun out of the window. Fulwiley was released on a no-cost bond.

“We’re still in the middle of an investigation and our bond court magistrate gives him a personal recognizance bond and just lets him go.” said the sheriff.

Kelly was already out on a $50,000 bond on an unlawful carry charge from March. He was given a $10,000 bond following the shooting on Saturday.

“Why would someone who’s already out on a $50,000 and another $250 bond get one even lower at $10,000?” Lott asked. “It’s hard to follow the logic with that.”

Lott went on to say Fulwiley and Kelly are both an example of how catch and release puts the entire community at risk.

He also called the suspects who were released a “major crack in our justice system,” but said anyone else involved will be caught.

Several other arrests are coming, according to Lott, but he would not go into detail about that part of the investigation.

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