Donta Pearson was 34 when he was shot and killed outside the Ellison Club in McColl, South Carolina, in the early morning hours of March 15, 2021. The shooting occurred in the club parking lot at about 2:08 a.m.; Pearson was taken to Scotland Memorial Hospital and later died of his wounds. He was described as close to his family and employed in the manufacturing industry.

Investigators used nightclub security footage to identify 26-year-old Deaundre Terrell Malachi of Bennettsville as the person who fired the shots as Pearson exited the establishment. Malachi fled the scene in a vehicle, was followed by law enforcement, and was seen discarding crack cocaine from the vehicle during the pursuit before being arrested later that day. He was charged with voluntary manslaughter, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; he later pleaded guilty and received a 28-year prison sentence.

Does anyone have information about Pearson’s activities that night or the relationship between him and the shooter?