A dispute between two groups of men outside a Clarendon County bar turned deadly late Saturday night, leaving a 21-year-old Kingstree man dead and two other people wounded. Clarendon County deputies responded to Big Daddy's Lounge in the 12000 block of U.S. 301 in the Gable community at approximately 11:34 p.m. Oct. 24 after reports of a shooting, and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds when they arrived.
Noah Wheeler, 21, of Kingstree, was taken to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, where he was pronounced dead, according to manninglive.com. Malik Wheeler, 29, also of Kingstree, was taken to McLeod Health Clarendon in Manning, where he was treated and released. A third victim, 36-year-old Moses McClinton of Sumter, called 911 to report he had been shot and was driving himself to the hospital in Manning; he was also treated and released, per the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office.
Argument Between Two Groups Escalates Into Gunfire
A preliminary investigation by deputies found that an argument between two groups of men escalated into gunfire outside the lounge, as reported by ABC Columbia. Investigators are still working to determine all of the people involved in the confrontation, and the sheriff's office says the investigation remains ongoing as deputies continue interviewing potential witnesses and gathering information. No arrests had been announced as of the Oct. 25 release from authorities.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office at 803-435-4414, or the anonymous tip line at 803-433-8477.
Not the First Shooting Reported at the Gable Club
This is not the first time gunfire has erupted at the same business. Back in August 2022, Clarendon County deputies responded to a separate shooting incident at Big Daddy's Club on the same stretch of Highway 301, the article notes. A security worker on duty at the time suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand and was transported to McLeod Health Clarendon.
In that 2022 case, deputies discovered numerous shell casings scattered across the club's parking area and on the roadway both north and south of the building. Witnesses at the time told investigators that multiple shooters were involved in the incident, though it is not known whether that earlier case was ever resolved. The relationship between the two incidents, if any, has not been established, and investigators have not said whether the Oct. 24 shooting involved more than one shooter.
