5-year-old boy shot in face in Dillon County drive-by

By Mackenzie Taylor and Jamie Rogers
Published: June 25, 2008

LATTA — A Latta man has been charged in connection with a drive-by shooting Wednesday morning in which a 5-year-old boy was shot in the face, Dillon County Chief Deputy Sheriff Douglas Pernell said.

Dustin Johnathan Bethea, 18, of 856 Henry St. Extension is charged with assault and battery with intent to kill, Pernell said.

The shooting happened just after midnight at Southside Apartments on U.S. 501 South in Latta.

After a group of boys got into an argument, some of them got into a blue Chevrolet Caprice, deputies said. As the boys were leaving the parking lot, one of them discharged a small-caliber handgun.

One of the shots hit 5-year-old Shad’daq Deberry in the cheek, reports show.

The 5-year-old was outside during the shooting because he heard the arguing and went to investigate, Pernell said.

Deberry’s mother, Felicia McCrae, said he was taken to a Dillon hospital, where he is in the Intensive Care Unit. She said he is doing OK, however, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Crystal DeBerry, the victim’s cousin, who lives nearby, said she also heard the shooting.

“If some of the violence stops in the neighborhood, some of this wouldn’t be happening,” she said.

Bethea is expected to have a bond hearing soon, Pernell said.

This incident marks the second time this year a Dillon County child has been shot in the face.

On Feb. 12, a 10-year-old boy shot his 9-year-old sister in the face after they argued over a bag of potato chips while their mother was at work, Pernell said.

The blast struck the girl in the right cheek, near her eye. She is recovering at home after undergoing emergency reconstructive plastic surgery soon after the shooting.

Sheriff’s investigators sent the incident report to the Department of Juvenile Justice, petitioning for a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill against the boy.

— WBTW News13’s Patricia Burkett contributed to this report.