Sumter, S.C. — A suspected pipe bomb discovered after a gunshot call prompted charges and a multi-agency investigation.
According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Sumter Police Department, the case began Feb. 28 when a man called 911 reporting he had accidentally shot himself while inside a vehicle at Veterans Memorial Park.
Responding officers and first responders provided medical care and began assessing the scene. Authorities said a handgun and a BB gun were visible inside the vehicle. During the investigation, a detective allegedly discovered what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside the vehicle.
Officials said the immediate area was cleared while local, state and federal agencies were notified.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Edward Lee Bick III, 38, of Cherryvale, according to law enforcement.
Warrants issued by Sumter Police and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office were served Monday after Bick was released from a Columbia hospital. Authorities transported him to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where he was booked.
Police said Bick is charged by Sumter Police with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession/manufacture/transport of a destructive or explosive device, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He also faces an additional destructive or explosive device charge from the sheriff’s office related to the Feb. 28 investigation and a previous encounter in November.
Bond on all charges was denied during a hearing Tuesday morning.
Investigators said the following day officers executed a search warrant at Bick’s residence on Copley Drive, where they allegedly found additional materials consistent with the device discovered in the vehicle.
Authorities also referenced a Nov. 7, 2025 investigation near North Lake Drive in Cherryvale involving a pipe bomb found on a property.
Agencies involved include the Sumter Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, SLED, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Officials said incidents connected to the case are considered isolated, and no threat to nearby residential areas or Shaw Air Force Base was identified.
All agencies said the investigation remains ongoing.
A brief disruption at a public park may also affect nearby students and commuters who regularly pass through the area.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input.
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