Police investigate fatal Halloween shooting at Spartanburg restaurant
Two teenagers died after being shot in a parking lot late Saturday night, with no suspects identified yet.
By Dominic Foster ·
Spartanburg authorities are probing the deaths of two teenagers who were shot in a parking lot late Saturday night. The incident occurred outside a Cook Out restaurant on John B. White Sr. Boulevard.
Police Chief Art Littlejohn stated that officers responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday after receiving reports of multiple gunshots. When they arrived, they discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds. Paramedics provided initial care at the site before transporting the victims to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where both were pronounced dead.
The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Jayden Marek Watson, 15, and Shane Carter Dawkins, 17. A third person was also struck by gunfire and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. That individual was taken to the hospital by a family member rather than by emergency responders.
Chief Littlejohn described the scene as a typical Halloween night outing where the victims were seeking food. He noted that the group was not involved in the crime. "I want to be totally clear, the young people that were out here were not bad young people; they were just kids," he said. He added that someone was "irresponsible" and began firing a gun.
As of Sunday, no arrests have been made. Police have not identified any suspects. The case remains an active investigation.
