Johnsonville, SC – Nine teenagers in South Carolina are facing criminal charges after allegedly luring and fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy, Trey Wright, following a dispute over a female. Authorities say one of the teens carried out the shooting while another allegedly recorded the incident, providing investigators with crucial evidence.
Shooting Orchestrated Over a Personal Dispute
According to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged shooting occurred on June 24 when 19-year-old Devan Raper reportedly fired multiple shots at Wright on First Neck Road. Wright’s own girlfriend, 17-year-old Gianna Kistenmacher, is accused of helping lure the victim to the scene.
Sheriff’s Maj. Mike Nunn told WBTW, “It’s kind of hard to deny what we see … with our eyes. And what’s posted on social media, audio, video, those types of things.”
Other Teens Complicit in the Incident
Seven additional teenagers have been charged in connection with the shooting. Three of them — Sydney Kearns, 17; Corrinne Belviso, 18; and Hunter Kendall, 18 — allegedly helped bring Raper to meet Wright, knowing he was armed. At least one of the co-defendants recorded the attack, though officials have not confirmed who.
Nunn added, “A lot of times the people involved record the event. So that takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.”
Victim Remembered as a Kind-Hearted Teen
Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, described her son as someone who “never deserved not one thing that happened to him” and called him “one in a million” for his joyful and kind-hearted nature. Friends and classmates echoed similar sentiments, highlighting Wright’s positive impact on the community.
Online records show some of the defendants, including Belviso and Kearns, were released after posting bond, while Raper remains in custody at the Florence County Detention Center. Kistenmacher is out on bond as she awaits a bond hearing.
Authorities Emphasize Preplanned Nature of Crime
Investigators noted that the incident appeared preplanned, with several teens coordinating Raper’s presence at the location and anticipating a confrontation. Sheriff TJ Joye said, “They had issues with each other and it was over a female. The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office press release detailed that Wright was found lying in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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