Maria L. Canales, 70, was fatally shot on September 15, 2025, in the 100 block of Haygood Road in Blythewood, South Carolina. Deputies who responded that Monday afternoon found Canales deceased at the scene and another man suffering gunshot wounds to his upper body; he was taken to a local hospital.

The Richland County Coroner identified Maria L. Canales as the victim. Investigators arrested 43-year-old Fred Gause Jr. the next day; he has been charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department describes the investigation as active as authorities continue to piece together what happened on Haygood Road. Does anyone who lived in or near Blythewood that day have information about activity on Haygood Road or the people involved?