South Carolina authorities were searching Wednesday for the person who shot and killed four people and wounded a young boy at a rural home.
Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall said two adults and two teenagers were each shot at least once. An 8-year-old boy was taken by helicopter to the Medical University of South Carolina for treatment. Authorities did not release his name and were not sure of his condition.
"We believe that this incident is an isolated incident, and we don't believe we have anyone out in this area who is actively committing crimes," Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said at an afternoon news conference.
He said authorities drew that conclusion "from information we have gathered" but would not go into detail or discuss a possible motive.
Shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, deputies received a call from a male telling them about the shootings at a home just west of Holly Hill, a community about 60 miles northwest of Charleston.
Marshall said three victims were found in bedrooms in the brown, single-story house nestled behind a stand of tall pines. They have been identified as Tamara Perry, 14; Shamekia Sanders, 17; and Krystal Hutto, 28.
The coroner said a man was found dead in the front yard. His identity was not immediately released.
The sheriff said three of the victims were black and Hutto was white; he did not know the relationship between them. The coroner said autopsies would be performed Thursday.
Across from the house is a cornfield, and the nearest neighbor is about a quarter-mile away.
Ravenell said a car that had been seen at the house was found burned about midday in the community of Vance, about 15 miles from the shooting scene. Authorities had been seeking the car but didn't know how it was connected to the house.
"We are actively following some leads. Anyone who might be connected or have any information on this heinous crime that could possibly be charged with accessory before or after the fact, you need to come forward," he said.
