Police update: Sawmill Branch Trail shooting case pending trial; county leads homicide investigation, town pursues trail cameras and MOU

The police chief briefed the committee on the Sawmill Branch Trail shooting that occurred Oct. 30, 2024, reporting that a 54-year-old woman died and her husband was shot while they were walking their dogs.

The chief said Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office is leading the criminal investigation; the suspect, identified in committee remarks as 20-year-old Christopher Kelly McDonald, was arrested and charged in county court with a series of offenses brought by the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and additional regulatory charges from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The chief said McDonald was given a $400,000 bond, that firearms were removed from his home and that bond conditions prohibit him from hunting or possessing firearms while the case proceeds. The chief said the case is pending a grand jury/bridal (pretrial) step and that there has been no plea at this point; he said the solicitor’s office indicated the case is likely to go to trial.

The chief described town response the night of the incident: Summerville officers were first on scene, rendered aid, and coordinated with Dorchester County detectives. Town resources, including K-9 teams, assisted evidence collection and tracking; leads from dog tracks led investigators toward a property where evidence was later located. The chief said the investigation is now led by the sheriff’s office and that the Department of Natural Resources is handling alleged hunting-related violations.

Committee members asked about potential civil action by the victim’s family; the chief said that is unknown at this time but that such suits commonly follow negligent-death cases. Committee members expressed the shooting’s impact on community feelings of safety; the chief and staff discussed potential safety measures, including trailhead cameras, and noted that no budgeted funds currently exist for a comprehensive camera network.

Staff said the town applied to the state legislature for an earmark to fund a full camera system but the General Assembly did not fund earmarks this session. The town has received vendor estimates ranging from a “full” system (previously quoted at about $5 million all-in for cameras along the trail) to a more limited option that would place cameras at the three trailheads at a substantially lower cost. Staff said they will pursue other funding options (parks and recreation funds, PRT grants) and that the MOU with Dorchester County formalizes jurisdictional cooperation along the path.

The committee also discussed jurisdictional steps taken earlier—an MOU that grants the town enforcement rights along the trail and a previous decision not to annex trail-adjacent private property because of complexity. The chief said the incident drew national attention and that the town will continue to coordinate with the solicitor and sheriff’s office as the criminal case progresses.