Man dies after shooting that killed unborn child in Greenwood

GREENWOOD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Greenwood Police Department said officers are investigating a shooting that killed one person and an unborn child on Tuesday morning.

Officers said they responded to the Gardens at Parkway Apartments just after 1:30 a.m. after someone reported gunshots.

According to officers, two victims had already been taken to the hospital with gunshot injuries before they arrived. Witnesses told officers that a man was trying to get into a car when the suspect showed up and shot him with some kind of rifle. According to witnesses, a woman sitting inside the vehicle the man was trying to get into was also shot.

The man was shot in the leg and was taken to the hospital for treatment. However, he passed away at around 10:46 a.m. on December 21, 2022. The Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 24-year-old Gabriel Goode from Greenwood.

The other victim was shot in the back and had non-life-threatening injuries. However, officers said she was nine months pregnant, and sadly, her unborn child died following the incident.

The suspect, 21-year-old Javier Williams, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and charged with murder. Records show that Williams posted a $24,000 surety bond on December 19 for gun and drug charges that he received a few days before.

On Tuesday evening, Chief of Police TJ Chaudoin posted an update on the situation to Facebook.

On Wednesday, Dec. 21, Williams appeared before a judge for an arraignment where he was told the following:

• He could face up to 10 years for the possession of a machine gun charge.
• He could face the death penalty for the murder charge.
• He could face up to 30 years for the attempted murder charge.
• He could face up to five years for the possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime charge.

This is an active investigation, according to officers. We will update this story as officials release new details.

Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved.