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Nine teenagers have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 16-year-old Trey Dean Wright of Johnsonville, South Carolina, on June 24. Officials in Florence County say the dispute between the teen and his alleged shooter, 19-year-old Devan Scott Raper, was “over a girl” and was partly captured on video by one of several suspects.

Sheriff’s deputies found Wright dead along First Neck Road, just outside Johnsonville, on June 24. He had been shot multiple times, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) reported. The rural road where his body was found is about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach.

The station also reported that under state law, prosecutors can charge minors as adults in certain offenses, including murder, and that five of the eight juveniles arrested in connection with the shooting are being charged as adults.

Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, told Fox News Digital that she’s having a hard time coping with the loss of her son. “All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”

Three Additional Teens Charged with Murder

A 17-year-old Palmetto Ridge student is the fourth teen arrested and charged as an adult in connection with the shooting. Wright’s girlfriend, Gianna Kistenmacher, was charged as an accessory before the fact of murder, accused of bringing Raper to the scene while knowing that he had a weapon and that violence was likely.

Three Myrtle Beach-area teenagers were the last to be arrested, and they, too, were charged with murder. They are 18-year-olds Hunter Kendall and Corrine Belviso and 17-year-old Sydney Kearns.

Belviso and Kearns each posted $20,000 surety bonds and were released after their arrest last week, but the FCSO and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) both say the investigation is continuing. The office has declined to release further information or to say whether more arrests may be made.

Prosecutors also declined to comment. However, in an interview with Fox News Digital, Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindse, was more forthcoming. She told us that the legal process has only increased her pain. “All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”

Family Feud Tied to South Carolina Shooting Death

Investigators say the June 24 shooting was the culmination of a series of incidents between Wright and his now-deceased 19-year-old killer, Devan Scott Raper. According to one Florence County sheriff, the shootings were the result of a feud between the boys over a girl.

Wright’s girlfriend was one of several people who were with Raper and the other teens arrested in the shooting. The others included a 17-year-old boy, an 18-year-old boy, and a girl. His mother, Ashley, said she’s having a hard time with it all, and the legal proceedings are not making things any easier.

“All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”

Why the Florence County Shooting Is Suspect No. 10

In an update released last Thursday, Florence County officials announced the arrest of five more suspects in the killing, including the victim’s girlfriend. However, one other juvenile and four adults are still sought in the case.

Florence County authorities said the shooting was not an act of random violence but the end of a long-running argument “over a girl.” The shooting took place on a rural road outside Johnsonville, Florence County.

The shooting was not the first time that the group has allegedly killed someone. In January 2021, one of the other suspects in the shooting was killed in what the police say was a premeditated murder that he and several others carried out while under the influence of drugs.

These revelations have left law enforcement and the public wondering why the shooting happened and why a group of people who had already been charged with the murder of another young person would go out and shoot someone again.

Teen Shootings: Patterns and Prevention

Teen shootings are not a new phenomenon. The number of such incidents has been on the rise for the past decade. According to the FBSO, there were 294 such incidents between 2009 and 2016, and the number has more than doubled since then.

Teenage suicides are also on the rise. In the last year alone, there have been more than 1,000 such incidents. These numbers are even more significant when you consider that most of these suicides are committed by teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19.

Teenagers are also committing more violent crimes. In the last year, there have been over 2,000 cases of such crimes. This is an increase of nearly 50% over the previous year.