Argument Over Dog Leads to Deadly Shooting, South Carolina Sheriff Says

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Midlands man is dead and another is behind bars after an argument about a dog led to gunfire, the Newberry County Sheriff's Office said.

Errick E. Walker was killed Sunday, according to Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece. The 36-year-old Newberry County resident was shot, Kneece said. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

At about 2 a.m., deputies responding to a shots fired call found Walker on the ground in the backyard of a residence at 27 Kali St., according to the sheriff's office. That's near S.C. 34 and about 2 miles from Exit 74 on Interstate 26.

Walker had been shot in the chest, the sheriff's office said. Information if he died at the scene or was taken to an area hospital was not available.

Other responding deputies located and detained Jerod Johnathan Blake, according to the sheriff's office.



Blake, 38, and Walker were neighbors in Bill White's Mobile Home Community on Kali Street, the sheriff's office said. The men had argued over an issue about a dog when Blake pulled out a gun and fatally shot Walker, according to the sheriff's office.

No other injuries were reported.

Blake was taken to the Newberry County Detention Center where he was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, jail records show. Blake remains behind bars after his bond was denied on both charges, according to jail records.

The shooting continues to be investigated by the sheriff's office and the coroner's office.