WALTERBORO, SC (June 19, 2019) – A 30-year-old Ruffin man who shot a neighbor he had known most of his life is headed to prison.
Kelvin Gant, 30, was found guilty Wednesday of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime following a two-day trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“This defendant shot at a man he had known since he was a little boy,” said Ceth Utsey of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “The victim forced himself to stay awake after being shot. And, this week the victim was able to tell the jury the truth about what had happened to him. Ruffin is a small, tightknit community and now it is a safer place following today’s conviction.”
Around 11:30 p.m. June 24, 2017, a man who was learning against a car outside a well-known shop and hangout, was shot twice. Armed with a .45-caliber handgun, Gant came out of the bushes and fired the gun from 5 feet away, striking the man’s left side and abdomen. Gant fired his gun and walked away. He was later arrested by law enforcement.
Utsey is a member of the Colleton County community prosecution team. He has been with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office since 2015.
Circuit Court Judge Steven John delivered the sentence.
