1 charged, 2 at large after 7-year-old Sumter boy shot in leg

Shots fired inside home

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One woman has been arrested and two suspects remain at large after a 7-year-old boy was shot in the leg during an incident inside a house on Broad Street in Sumter County.

The child was reportedly sleeping next to his cousin when several shots were fired inside the residence on the 5000 block of Broad Street near Shaw Air Force base about 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, according to Ken Bell, public information officer for the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Aireal Lakeia Johnson, 24, of White Pine Court in Sumter, has been charged with four counts of being an accessory after the fact of attempted murder and discharging a firearm into a dwelling; criminal conspiracy; breach of trust; larceny for failure to return a rented object; and obstruction of justice.

One of the bullets fired struck the boy in the leg, while two other bullet holes were discovered in the home that did not hit anyone, Bell said.

Investigators uncovered information pointing to the suspect vehicle being a 2017 Jeep that was reportedly rented through a fraudulent insurance policy under the name of Aireal Johnson.

Bell said Johnson admitted to the conspiracy for fraud and implicated two others — Kimberly Denise Burgess, 30, and Rodney Jermaine Burgess, 33, both of Sandy Run Drive in Sumter.

Warrants have been issued for the Burgesses, and authorities are actively looking for the pair, Bell said.

It is not immediately clear what prompted the shooting or how the child is related to any of the three. Bell said the boy has been released from the hospital and is expected to fully recover.

Anyone who sees them is asked to call 911, the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at (803) 436-2022 or Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718 or 1(888) 436-CRIMESC. Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.