Search for shooter after killing of South Carolina man, officials say

Aiken County authorities say a South Carolina man was killed in a shooting on Wednesday and are currently searching for the person who pulled the trigger.

James L. Wright Jr., a 27-year-old North Augusta resident, died at the scene, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said. Wright was shot at least once and an autopsy will be performed in Newberry, according to Ables.

According to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses found Wright’s body on the ground between two buildings on Edgefield Road in North Augusta.

At around 3:15 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting. The caller reported hearing gunshots inside a store, the sheriff’s office said.

Aiken County EMS also responded and pronounced Wright dead about 30 minutes later, officials said.

No further injuries were reported.

There was no information about a shooter or shooters or a motive for the shooting.

The sheriff’s office has not reported any arrests; the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, along with the coroner’s office and the North Augusta Department of Public Safety.

Anyone with information about the shooting or those involved is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-648-6811 or CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or submit a tip online.