Five homicide investigations are underway in Aiken County

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’ve seen five homicide investigations in Aiken in the month of July alone.

Investigators say none of them are connected.

But why? We sat down with Aiken County Sheriff’s Office about why we are seeing this string of violence.

July is marked as a deadly month in the CSRA.

“We here in Aiken County are not immune to that,” said Captain Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

Aiken County saw its fifth homicide Sunday after 22-year-old Deangelo R. Washington was killed in a drive-by shooting. Officers say this stemmed from an incident at Midland Valley High School.

“I can’t understand it. It’s not my job to understand it other than to assist with the investigation and try and find the individuals responsible,” he said.

Abdullah says none of these shootings are connected. He says they can involve domestic violence, gang violence, or simple arguments that turn deadly.

“Every person that lives in Aiken County has a vested interest in their community along with every law enforcement officer and public safety worker,” said Abdullah.

He says they’re going to continue to shout the same message, the community is their biggest ally in stopping violent crimes, and making sure violent offenders are put behind bars.

“It is our greatest hope that our community knows we’re with them, and we rely on them heavily because we’re all in this together,” he said.

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