Two people are behind bars after a dispute between neighbors in Sumter, South Carolina, ended in a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 49-year-old Tajaddin Waled Blackwell. Authorities identified Thornton Letrawn Wells, 28, and Tan’jah Mayonna Vaughn, 27, as the suspects arrested in connection with the case.
The shooting happened Thursday afternoon on Roche Road. According to witnesses, two neighbors had an altercation, and alcohol was involved. Shortly before 5 p.m., Sumter County dispatchers received a report of a shooting at the location, sending deputies rushing to the scene.
When deputies arrived, they immediately began lifesaving measures on Blackwell. Emergency Medical Services later arrived and took over his medical care before he was transported to Prisma Health Richland.
Blackwell remained at the hospital but died Friday afternoon. His death led investigators to treat the case as a homicide, with Wells and Vaughn facing charges tied to the incident.
The investigation quickly focused on a vehicle believed to be connected to the shooting. Investigators used witness descriptions and Flock Safety technology to identify the vehicle and issued a BOLO alert. The alert helped officers and deputies locate it shortly afterward.
Less than an hour after the alert was issued, deputies and Sumter Police Department officers stopped the vehicle near North Guinyard Drive and West Liberty Street. Wells, who lives on Roche Road, and Vaughn, who lives on North Main Street, were detained and taken to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Wells, 28, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Vaughn, 27, faces a charge of accessory after the fact to a felony. Authorities have not reported any additional charges in the information released about the case.
Both suspects remain in custody at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center as they await bond hearings. The arrests followed an investigation that began with a reported neighbor dispute and ended with the death of Blackwell.