Two children could be charged in the fatal shooting of a man on his tractor last week in Oconee County, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.Spokesman Jimmy Watt said a petition has been filed in family court in reference to charging an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the shooting death of 62-year-old Danny Andrew Smith.“After a consultation with the solicitor’s office, and based on the evidence obtained in our ongoing investigation, we believe that both juvenile males discharged a firearm in a reckless manner in the direction of Mr. Smith who was bush hogging on some family property,” Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said. “At this time, it is still undetermined which shot ultimately struck and killed Mr. Smith. However, based upon South Carolina law, the hand of one is the hand of all and that is why family court has been petitioned in regards to charging both juveniles with involuntary manslaughter.”Crenshaw went on to say that under South Carolina law, juveniles under the age of 10 cannot be detained so both juveniles have been remanded to the custody of the parents as the judicial proceedings continue. At this time, no information about a motive or where the firearm was obtained will be released due to the ongoing investigation and any additional details will be released as conditions and developments warrant, Crenshaw said. He said the weapon, a .22 caliber rifle, has been recovered and examined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department forensics lab in Columbia.Deputies were called to 1490 Coffee Road last week after Smith’s wife went to the property looking for her husband after not being able to make contact with him. Deputies responded to the scene and found Smith slumped over the steering wheel, unresponsive, on a tractor that was still running but had gone down an embankment, striking a tree. Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, and from the autopsy, it was determined that Smith had sustained a single gunshot wound to the back, authorities said.
Two children could be charged in the fatal shooting of a man on his tractor last week in Oconee County, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
Spokesman Jimmy Watt said a petition has been filed in family court in reference to charging an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the shooting death of 62-year-old Danny Andrew Smith.
“After a consultation with the solicitor’s office, and based on the evidence obtained in our ongoing investigation, we believe that both juvenile males discharged a firearm in a reckless manner in the direction of Mr. Smith who was bush hogging on some family property,” Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said. “At this time, it is still undetermined which shot ultimately struck and killed Mr. Smith. However, based upon South Carolina law, the hand of one is the hand of all and that is why family court has been petitioned in regards to charging both juveniles with involuntary manslaughter.”
Crenshaw went on to say that under South Carolina law, juveniles under the age of 10 cannot be detained so both juveniles have been remanded to the custody of the parents as the judicial proceedings continue.
At this time, no information about a motive or where the firearm was obtained will be released due to the ongoing investigation and any additional details will be released as conditions and developments warrant, Crenshaw said.
He said the weapon, a .22 caliber rifle, has been recovered and examined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department forensics lab in Columbia.
Deputies were called to 1490 Coffee Road last week after Smith’s wife went to the property looking for her husband after not being able to make contact with him.
Deputies responded to the scene and found Smith slumped over the steering wheel, unresponsive, on a tractor that was still running but had gone down an embankment, striking a tree.
Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, and from the autopsy, it was determined that Smith had sustained a single gunshot wound to the back, authorities said.