WINNSBORO – A Winnsboro man died at Palmetto Richland Hospital in Columbia last week, just hours after being shot during a fight outside a housing complex on Crawford Street.
Fairfield County Coroner Barkley Ramsey said Riley Gadson Jr., 32, of 409 ½ Crawford St., was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m. Oct. 9 while undergoing emergency surgery to repair a damaged artery in his left thigh.
According to Winnsboro Department of Public Safety Chief Freddie Lorick, Gadson sustained the fatal gunshot wound at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 8 during an altercation that broke out in a common area outside a housing complex at 317 Crawford St. Lorick said it is believed that Gadson was involved in the fight with two suspects – Rondell Timothy Trapp, 30, of 317 Crawford St.; and his brother, Latroy Elmore Trapp, 35, of 315 Crawford St. The suspects pistol-whipped Gadson during the fight, Lorick said, then shot him through the inside of his left thigh. Rondell Trapp, who according to the incident report has an alternate address of 111 Calhoun St., is believed to have been the shooter, Lorick said.
Public Safety officers arrived at the scene 16 minutes later to find Gadson lying on the ground, surrounded by a large crowd of bystanders. Gadson was “agitated,” the incident report states, and wanted to get up, but he was being held down by several people while one person tried to administer first aid, applying pressure to the wound. An ambulance arrived a short time later and transported Gadson to Palmetto Richland where he later died in surgery.
Investigators recovered two 9MM shell casings from the scene, Lorick said. The fatal gunshot passed through Gadson’s thigh, Lorick said, but no bullet fragments were recovered around the crime scene.
At press time, both suspects were still at large. Rondell Trapp is described as a black male, 30 years old, standing 6-feet tall and weighing 165 pounds and wearing sideburns. Latroy Trapp is described as a black male, 35 years old, 5-feet 8-inches tall and weighing 140 pounds.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call WDPS at 803-635-4511.
