A gathering of acquaintances at a residence on Highway 15 South in Sumter, South Carolina, ended in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Ladae Barnes on the evening of March 18, 2026. Deputies from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a shooting at about 9:26 p.m.; Barnes was found with injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sumter County Coroner’s Office identified the victim and scheduled an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Two people were arrested in connection with the investigation. Shalaya Jermyra Jackson, 26, of Sumter was charged with manslaughter; Gabriel Sentel Jacobs Jr., 25, of Sumter was charged with possession of a handgun by a person convicted of a violent crime. Both were being held at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing and the investigation remains ongoing.

If anyone was at or near that gathering on March 18 or has information about what happened that night, please share what is known.