Crime & Safety
Laurens County, SC Shooting: Bullets Strike Restaurant, Suspect Arrested
Clinton, SC – A shooting outside a Wendy's restaurant in Laurens County left one person wounded and sent bullets into both an occupied vehicle and the restaurant Tuesday night, October 20, prompting a
By Miles Carter · 2026-10-22T19:10:56.509Z
Clinton, SC – A shooting outside a Wendy's restaurant in Laurens County left one person wounded and sent bullets into both an occupied vehicle and the restaurant Tuesday night, October 20, prompting a police response and the arrest of a Newberry man.
According to the Laurens County Sheriff 's Office, deputies responded around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday to the Wendy's restaurant along Highway 56 in Clinton following reports of gunfire.
When deputies arrived, they discovered an individual suffering from a gunshot wound.
Investigators determined that an altercation had occurred between two individuals before shots were allegedly fired into the victim's vehicle and the Wendy's restaurant.
Authorities said a Clinton Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on the suspect's vehicle nearby and detained the individual.
The suspect was identified as Damin Lamont Williams Jr. of Newberry, South Carolina.
Williams was arrested and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, discharging a firearm into a vehicle, discharging a firearm into a building and two counts of malicious damage to property.
The sheriff's office did not provide the victim's current condition or disclose whether anyone was inside the restaurant when the gunfire struck the building.
Laurens County Sheriff Don Reynolds condemned the violence , emphasizing the danger posed to people in the surrounding area.
"This situation put innocent people in danger. This reckless behavior showed complete disregard for life, and I appreciate the swift actions of our deputies and the Clinton Police Department in bringing this individual into custody," Reynolds said.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what sparked the altercation or provided additional details about the relationship between the individuals involved.
The investigation was announced Thursday, October 22.
Williams is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.