Abbeville man convicted in shooting incident on Abbeville Square
An Abbeville man was convicted Thursday in connection to a 2019 incident in which he fired a gunshot that left another man paralyzed, according to 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo.
Reginald De’Aron Campbell, 24, of Abbeville, was convicted by an Abbeville County jury of assault and battery, high and aggravated in nature, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The verdict came down around mid-day Thursday after jurors began their deliberations Wednesday afternoon before taking a recess about 9 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Campbell was initially charged with attempted murder; however, the jury returned the guilty verdict on the lesser included offense of assault and battery, high and aggravated in nature. State law provides a sentencing range of zero to 20 years in prison. Circuit Judge Walton J. McLeod IV, who presided over the case, sentenced Campbell to 14 years in prison on the assault charge and five years in prison on the weapons charge, with the sentences to run concurrently.
On December 28, 2019, a number of people gathered at Wings 101, located on the square in Abbeville, to watch the Clemson-Ohio State College Football Playoff game. At some point during the night, Campbell and some friends exchanged words with a man at the bar. Sometime just after midnight, patrons began spilling onto the sidewalk and an altercation broke outinvolving the same parties that had words previously inside the bar. The victim, who was an innocent bystander attempting to break up the fight, was blindside punched by Campbell and slammed into a brick wall. The victim’s head hit the brick hall and he slumped onto Campbell as both tumbled to the ground. Seconds later, Campbell pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the abdomen from close range. The bullet damaged the victims’ spine, leaving him paralyzed.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Micah Black and Assistant Solicitor Caroline Avant handled the case for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Chris Wilkie and Victim Advocate Sarah Parris. Campbell was represented by Aaron Taylor.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his team along with Inv. Duane Balchin of the Abbeville Police Department and Officer Brett Watkins, who was with Abbeville Police Department at the time of the incident, in securing the conviction.
“It is an absolute tragedy that an innocent bystander trying to break up a fight ends up paralyzed from a gunshot wound,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the sentencing. “Not only are there obvious life-changing consequences for our victim in this case, but everyone involved has been forever changed by the foolish action of bringing a gun to a fist fight. I pray the victim and everyone else involved can begin to find closure from this senseless crime.”