Woman killed at Saluda County plant ed by family
WARD, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two people have been identified after a deadly shooting at a Saluda County plant.
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office says at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, deputies responded to a shooting incident.
The Saluda County Coroner’s Office says it responded to Darling Ingredients Inc., formerly known as Valley Proteins Inc., 6 p.m. Monday regarding a fatal shooting incident.
Deputies say when they arrived, they found a deceased man and woman.
The coroner’s office has identified them as 52-year-old Kimberly Waters Leon, of Graniteville, and 44-year-old Willie James Hopkins Jr., of Batesburg.
Our sister station, WIS News 10, spoke with Leon’s family on Tuesday.
“What would your response be if your mom was shot?” WIS asked to the family.
“He pretty much murdered her. Just selfishness. He just couldn’t handle the fact that she moved on,” said Leon’s daughter, Isabel. “You were selfish after everything she did for you. She stayed with him through cancer. Through everything. And this is how you pay her back? We’ll never get to see her again,”
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Valley Protein, Inc./Darling Ingredients confirmed in a statement the two were employed at the plant, saying “We are aware of an incident involving workers at our Ward facility. The incident is currently under investigation by local authorities.”
The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office says the office along with SLED’s Crime Scene Unit and the Saluda County Coroner’s Office are investigating the incident.
Autopsies are scheduled for later this week.
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Officials say there is no threat to the public and evidence shows this as an isolated incident.
We have reached out to SLED to learn more details about the circumstances surrounding these deaths.
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