Spartanburg Police Investigate Fatal Halloween Shooting at Cook Out
Two teens died and a third was injured after a gunman opened fire in a parking lot on Saturday night, with no arrests yet made.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Two teenagers lost their lives in a late-night shooting outside a Cook Out restaurant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Saturday. Police responded to John B. White Sr. Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of multiple shots being fired in the parking lot.
Officers discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds upon arrival. Both victims received first aid at the scene before being transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where they were later 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 shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. That individual was taken to the hospital by a family member.
Spartanburg Police Chief Art Littlejohn stated that no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified. The case remains under active investigation. Littlejohn emphasized the casual nature of the victims' evening, noting that they were out getting something to eat after Halloween trick-or-treating.
“I want to be totally clear, the young people that were out here were not bad young people; they were just kids,” Littlejohn said. “After Halloween night, going trick-or-treating, going out to get something to eat, and then someone being irresponsible, pulled out a gun and started shooting.”
