A man is behind bars after deputies say he pointed a firearm at a person inside a Skymart convenience store while demanding a vape. Hunter Helms now faces four charges tied to the alleged confrontation, which unfolded at the store before he fled and was later tracked down in Hartsville.
Deputies arrested Helms after he was accused of pointing a firearm at a person while demanding a vape at the Skymart, according to wpde.com. Arrest warrants accuse Helms of brandishing a gun and threatening a person inside the store, as reported by WBTW. According to WBTW, deputies responded to the 600 block of N. Main Street in the Darlington area after getting a report of a person brandishing a firearm.
Suspect Fled Before Deputies Arrived
Deputies responded Friday to 603 N. Main St. after a report of a person brandishing a firearm, but when they arrived, they learned the suspect had already left the scene, per the same wpde.com account. Officials later received tips about Helms's whereabouts, and deputies subsequently found his vehicle in the 300 block of South Fifth Street in Hartsville, the outlet reported.
Helms was booked into the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center early Saturday, per WBTW's reporting, and he remained in custody there as of about 11 a.m. Monday. He was given a $25,000 surety bond, WBTW noted, a figure the station's report and wpde.com's account both confirm.
Multiple Firearm and Assault Charges Filed
Hunter Helms was charged with first-degree assault and battery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of certain crimes, according to the wpde.com report. The pointing-a-firearm charge traces back to South Carolina code, which makes it unlawful to present or point a loaded or unloaded firearm at another person, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws; that same code page notes the related Section 16-23-460 was repealed by 2024 Act No. 111, effective March 7, 2024. The arrest was made under the authority of Sheriff Michael August's office, per WBTW. The investigation remains active, according to wpde.com.
Part of a Broader Crackdown in Darlington County
The arrest comes months after Sheriff August's office ramped up enforcement efforts across the county. A special safety operation from June 11 through June 13 involved 25 officers from four law-enforcement agencies working to boost visibility and promote safety throughout Darlington County, per the wpde.com report on that operation. That multi-day push resulted in 16 arrests, 22 citations, 117 warnings, 10 warrants served and nine K-9 deployments, the outlet reported, and officers also seized two firearms along with quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana.
Sheriff August established the Darlington County Street Crimes Unit in March 2025 specifically to combat the flow of illegal narcotics and stolen firearms into the county, according to wpde.com's reporting. The Helms case now adds another firearm-related arrest to a county already working to curb gun crime through that dedicated unit.
