Parris D’Shawn Sutton, a 27-year-old man from Gaston, pled guilty to Attempted Murder and Possession of a Weapon during the Commission of a Violent Crime last Wednesday. Chief Administrative Judge Debra R. McCaslin sentenced Sutton to 28 years in prison. Sutton received a 23-year sentence on the Attempted Murder followed by a consecutive 5-year sentence for the weapons charge. Under South Carolina law, the Attempted Murder charge is classified as a violent and “no parole” offense. There were no plea negotiations in this case.

On September 17, 2022, around 3 a.m., Sutton arrived at a residence on Edmund Hwy in the Gaston area of Lexington County after learning his ex-girlfriend was there. Earlier that night, Sutton sent a text to his ex-girlfriend threatening to kill her because he believed she was with another man. Once at the residence, Sutton physically assaulted her in front of several witnesses and threatened to kill her. He was asked to leave the residence by the homeowner, who was a female friend of the victim, but returned shortly thereafter under the pretense of needing to charge his phone. Once Sutton was inside, he went to the bedroom where his ex-girlfriend was lying in bed and shot her multiple times until his gun jammed. Sutton continued to fire even after his gun jammed. As a result of the shooting, the victim is now paralyzed. Sutton was arrested approximately a month later in Charleston where the victim was undergoing treatment for her injuries.

During the course of the investigation, investigators located messages Sutton sent after the shooting. Sutton wrote: “I did what I did cause she was being sneaky.” Sutton later described that he “blanked out” and it would’ve gotten “real ugly” if the gun did not jam. He then stated: “I kept pulling it.”

During sentencing, the victim, who now relies on a wheelchair for mobility due to her paralysis, addressed the Court and shared how this has impacted her and changed her life forever.

Senior Assistant Solicitor Sutania A. Fuller handled the prosecution of this case for the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office and it was investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.