A 16-year-old boy was shot to death inside the Walhalla apartment where he lived, and more than a day later, investigators still have not named a suspect. Kevin Brayden Bonner was found with a gunshot wound to the head early Friday morning at the Highland Glen Apartment Complex, according to the Oconee County Coroner's Office.
The Walhalla Police Department is conducting a homicide investigation after officers responded to the complex and found Bonner inside the apartment, according to wnegradio.com. Reports differ slightly on the timing of the initial call: the station reported that the E-911/Communications Center received a report of shots fired around 12:23 a.m. Friday, while wyff4.com reported the call came in around 12:20 a.m. Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis said the 911 call concerned a shooting at the complex, as reported by The State.
Officers found Bonner inside Apartment 413, the unit where he lived, according to foxcarolina.com. That outlet reported he had been shot and was found with a gunshot wound to the head and in cardiac arrest, while the coroner's office told The State that Bonner suffered cardiac arrest after being shot multiple times. Coroner Addis said Bonner was found inside the apartment where he lived and died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head, per The State's reporting.
Conflicting Reports On Time Of Death
Accounts of exactly when Bonner died also diverge slightly. Fox Carolina reported he died at the scene at 1:29 a.m. after EMS and Walhalla Fire personnel provided life support, while WYFF4 reported he died at the scene at 1:30 a.m. after being found with the gunshot wound. Officials said the shooting caused no other reported injuries, according to The State.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the apartment and gathered evidence from the scene, the station's report noted. The Walhalla Police Department, the Oconee County Coroner's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Special Victims' Unit are continuing to investigate, per the same account. SLED and the coroner's office are each independently investigating the shooting, according to The State, and officials said they will perform an autopsy on Bonner.
No Suspect Named As Investigation Continues
As of the latest reporting, police had not released any information about a potential suspect, according to Fox Carolina. The State reported that authorities have not identified a shooter or the number of people involved, and have provided no information about a motive for the gunfire. No arrests have been reported in connection with the shooting.
People with information are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-844-71-CRIME, submit a tip online at 71crime.com, or use the free P3 app on a mobile device, according to the station's report. Anyone facing an emergency is instructed to call 911. The State said it will update its breaking-news coverage as more information becomes available.
