Allendale County leaders react to recent shootings
ALLENDALE COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) – A deadly string of shootings in Allendale County has law enforcement and local leaders demanding change.
In the last week, a shooting in Fairfax left a 14-year-old girl dead, identified by an Allendale County schools resource officer as Markayla Roberts.
“Officer responded to shots fired on Bay Shore drive, when he arrived, he got several calls that they had a victim at the hospital driven by a personal vehicle, he went back to the hospital and later on found out that it’s a juvenile,” said Fairfax Police Chief Marvin Williams.
Other shootings in Allendale also left an 11-year-old and a police officer injured.
Law enforcement is working to find out if the shootings are connected, and if they are gang-related.
SLED is leading the investigations.
The Allendale County Schools superintendent released a statement on Facebook stating there would be more security measures in the schools starting Monday, including additional law enforcement presence, metal detectors, and more.
Some Fairfax councilmembers believe the discipline needed to prevent these crimes starts on the community level.
“I truly believe the enemy is attacking Allendale County, so we can’t be enemies toward each other. We have to unite and work together,” said councilmember Carl Love.
“It does start at home. As we are in the community working together, but it also starts again from home. So we’re encouraging parents, talk with you children, educate your kids,” said Mayor Pro Tem Tiffine Forester.
Fairfax Mayor Albert Sauls thinks it’s time to start being proactive, instead of reactive.
“Citizens are gonna have to start getting involved. We can’t keep letting our children get killed,” he said. “That’s one of the things that upsets me so, that we allow our children, that we don’t say anything or do anything, when prosecutors get them, they don’t prosecute. So we’ve got to start doing something besides talk about it.”
Mayor Sauls said he’s reached out to state elected officials for help with the problem. Community forums are also in the works.
If you have any information regarding these crimes, reach out to the authorities.
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