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1 Dead, 2 Jailed After Fight at Party
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 2:45AM 
Francis Marion Reeves III, 62, has been charged with murder in the shooting death of Deshaun Rashad Clark, 17, a senior at Chapin High School in Lexington County, S.C. and Breon Jacoby Mayers, 17, a friend of Clark's, has been charged with attempting to kill Reeves in a drive-by revenge shooting.
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It all began at a party hosted by Reeves' children at the family's lake house at 224 Lexington Lane. Someone claimed that a cellphone had been stolen and Deshaun Clark, an invited guest, was blamed for the theft. A fight ensued and Clark, after being struck a number of times, left the party vowing to return with some of his friends.
In the meantime Reeves' son left the party to get his father. He told Reeves that his 19-year-old daughter had been knocked out and left with a black eye during the fight. Reeves then took a loaded pistol and an unloaded shotgun and rushed over to the house.
While Reeves was at the party house, Clark returned with some friends. Reeves shot Clark once in the stomach. Everybody scattered and friends took Clark to the Chapin Fire Station from where Lexington County Emergency Medical Services personnel transported Clark by ambulance to Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital for treatment for his gunshot wound. Clark died early the next morning from his injury.
"He literally bled to death," prosecutor Rick Hubbard said.
Reeves' attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said his client acted in self-defense, fearing that he and his children were in danger.
"This is a tragedy. Anytime somebody dies, anytime somebody's killed, that's a tragedy, but one has a right to act in self defense," Harpootlian said.
After the shooting Reeves returned home and was sitting on his front porch when a car drove by his house, shooting at the parked cars and the house itself. Reeves returned the fire, using his shotgun to injure two teenagers in the '85 Toyota Camry. A third teen, 17-year-old Breon Jacoby Mayers of Little Mountain, who did the actual shooting, was not hit.
Detectives arrested Reeves at his home on Dreher Island Rd. at about 3:45pm the next day, Saturday, on an arrest warrant on a charge of murder in connection with the shooting of 17-year-old Deshaun Rashad Clark, of Meadowlark Road, in Little Mountain. See TV news coverage here.
When Reeves was asked how he felt about Deshaun Clark's death, he responded: "I could care less"
Francis Reeves was released on a $125,000 bond.
Sheriff James Metts says Newberry Co. authorities arrested 17-year-old Breon Jacoby Mayers of Little Mountain at about 10pm on Sunday. Mayers was served with arrest warrants on charges of assault with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into a dwelling or vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person who is under the age of 21. See TV news coverage here.
Arrest warrants allege that at about 11:30pm on Friday Mayers "did with malice, aforethought and with intent to kill" fire several shots from a handgun at several cars that were parked in front of the home on Dreher Island Road.
Breon Mayers remains in jail on a $100,000 bond.
Reader Comments (16)
Francis Reeves III did the right thing, the other kids sound like a bunch of thug wannabees, too bad he didnt kill all 3, you don't gang up one someones family member then shoot at their house.
Right. The innocent, scared, little white man did the right thing. This young man, Deshaun Clark, was falsely accused( in 1880's fashion) of stealing his little white princesses CELL PHONE...OMG! Her boyfriend(white, by the way), had his friends gang up on him and beat him unconcious TWICE!! These barbarians did this over a c-e-l-l p-h-o-n-e mind you. As if that was sick enough, the rich psychopaths go and scream for their daddy, because after falsely accusing Deshaun of stealing, and beating him cold-twice, they got scared when Deshaun threatened to get some of his friends. Who WOULDN'T?
Of course, daddy assumes that there is no way that his underage, high, drunk white princess and her boyfriend could be lying about the scary ghetto black "thug wannabe" from 'da hood, so he locks and loads. Eventually, he shoots Deshaun in the stomach, and Deshaun later dies. Deshaun's friends, who are only teenagers, seek retailation for the beating and eventual murder of their friend. Francis Reeves expresses his complete, cold hearted apathy for the young life that he took. Why? Hey, it was just another dead poor, dead, black boi.
Were you there that night, April C? You sure sound it. You've got this whole case rapped up. Congrats Perry Mason. While I agree that this was a senseless killing...you really seem to have some issues with race, don't you? While descibing Clark's friends as "only teenagers seeking retaliation" you neglect to add the word ARMED. And....THEY ALSO USED THEIR WEAPON. You also asked "who wouldn't?" when descibing Clark's threat to get his friends. Why didn't Clark get the police instead? He could've had his attackers arrested for assault. But....I guess that wouldn't have been justified with you. No. You would have preferred a guns blazin' vengeful response. And the fact that race had anything to do with it would just be that much more pertinent. I hope you don't raise kids. You accuse others of the obvious hatred you harbor deep within.
My condolences to Clark's family.
This sounds like the case in Long Island where a black father (ironically named John White) shot and killed a white kid who together with group were harassing his son in front of his own home.
The major difference is that the John White was convicted of 2nd degree manslaughter and was sent away to prison. I doubt Reeves will ever get a conviction. Race shouldn't play a factor here but I am sure it will.
Whether the "victim" stole the cell phone or not he should never have returned to the house with his group of friends. What was the reason for his return? There is no doubt it was to damage property or cause physical harm to those at the party.
I agree with the actions of John White also. I tried to support their efforts to keep him free as much as possible. A person should be able to protect their family and property. And parents should start teaching their children to not gang up and go after people at their homes, or anywhere else.
They shouldn't jumped on him over a cell phone i am clark cousin he was a good kid.
Are any of you reading the part that says that reeves responded that he "couldnt care less" about clark's death? a sixty two year old man shot a seventeen year old boy and openly states that he has no remorse.
and, on the topic of the self defense issue - it is possible to defend yourself without using a pistol. it is possible to defend yourself with a pistol without shooting a person in the stomach. he could have chosen an arm or a leg. it is outrageous that there are people defending his man.
I found this when I searched on CNN. I don't know how many people actually read this, but the bottom line is that no matter what happened this was a 62 year old man! He should have been the responsible one. If he felt threatened he is the one that should have called the cops.
As a friend of everyone involved (the people hosting the party & Clark, who died) I find it kind of funny everyone has an opinion & wants to say what's right or should have been done but nobody really knows the situation or all the facts. So please out of respect keep your opinions to yourself & stop broadcasting this all over the internet because it is bad enough our community is completely divided now & a lot of people have lost a very good friend over this incident. You are not the court system or God so your opinion does not matter in this case & is only making tension in the community worse by everyone having their say-so & comments such as "the other kids sound like a bunch of thug wannabees, too bad he didnt kill all 3, you don’t gang up one someones family member then shoot at their house." Who are you to say who should live or die & you don't personally know any of those "thug wannabes".. they had NO WEAPONS & were invited guests to the party.. So I guess the people hosting (who are also personal friends of mine) didn't find them TOO intimidating huh??
i am friends of deshaun and breon they are the different people in life that you would want to meet...but now you cant because clark is gone why because of the stupid shit in this world. this white man is out of jail and its a fact he killed him and breon is still in jail from probable cause. cant even get his education, why? something he didnt do.i dont appreciate the comments being made here but there is a amendment that says you can but none of you know what the hell is going on so just chill the hell out>>>>OBAMA (its time for a change)
what happened happened the chapin community just needs to not let this tear the community apart if anything. My sympathies to the family of the gundowned child , however bad things happen when vengance is vowed and people try there own brand of vigilante justice and this is a case of everything gone wrong.
naw!!! that white man shouldn't shot that boy is was young a smart boy i think he should be locked up for ever and should be in a electric chair!! fag
This was not the first person shot by Mr. Reeves or one of his family members. Police records indicate a man was shot and wounded at his home several years prior in another argument. the person shot did not file charges. The police did not have enough evidence to pursue a case.
Having spent my entire life in Chapin, I just feel the need to throw in my 2 biased cents. Mr. Reeves is a jerk, and I think that the statements he made were pretty much what I'd expect from him. Think about it... if your first name is Francis... and your middle name is Marion... and you live in a rural, po-dunk town in South Carolina... chances are that your roots of ignorance are quite deeply embedded in the dirt of the past. Just thought you'd like a local perspective on the issue.
Yo this is bReon's blood lil sister. mY brother had a reason for doing what he did.iM not saying it was good.that old WHITE man aint have no reason doing what he did.YOu dont kill no 17 year old child over no cell phone!! && that was not self defense because nobody touched him.&& if i was deshaun i wouldve told somebody too.(not being races) but all of these white people is trying to get over on us blacks..man obama is in the chair now!! TimE for a change.
aNd april C who ever you are dawg watch wat you say about my brother and about blacks.That dumb races white man should be sentenced to death instead of life..AT least he's gone and im happy my big brother breon is out!!!!!
i loVE you breon! && deshaun we miss you alot and you are always here in our eyes