'He is with the Lord:' 11-year-old killed in Florence Co. shooting incident

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — An 11-year-old boy died in a shooting Wednesday at around 8 p.m. on Clover Hill Road in the Scranton area, according to Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye.

Florence County Coroner Keith Von Lutcken identified the victim as Brentlee Eugene Crump. An autopsy has been ordered.

Joye said the child’s father told investigators he was shooting a gun with his son outside when the weapon went off.

ABC15 spoke with the boy's great-aunt, Wanda Flowers, who said the man who shot Crump was his uncle, who had custody of him and was considered a father.

Flowers said Crump's death has been very hard on the family and they need the community's prayers to help get them through this tough time.

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They need prayer. They need prayer people," Flowers said. "This was a bad accident. And it was really an accident. And if he could take it over. He would take it all away. But, you can’t take away anything like this when it happens.

Flowers said Crump was such a loving child and was deeply loved by his family.

Life is like a vapor-- you are here one minute, and you are gone the next minute. And I believe that he is with the Lord. He is a little angel, so to speak. When it happens like this and then it’s an accident and it was not intentional, it’s even harder. But, do pray for this family. They need prayer right now. They need family, community, behind them. The school.

Anna Hamacher also reached out to ABC15 about the child's death. She said she had full custody of her son Brentlee, but he lived with close relatives.

She added that she's upset over his death because she wasn't told that he had died until three hours after it happened. Hamacher said she loved her son dearly.

No charges have been filed in the investigation at this time.

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Florence County School District 3, which is where the child attended school, sent ABC15 the following statement:

It is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of a fifth grade student at Scranton Elementary STEAM Academy. Our hearts go out to the student’s family, friends and the entire school community during this difficult time.

In response to this heartbreaking loss, Florence School District 3 is providing support to our students and staff. We have deployed a team of trained counselors to the school to provide immediate assistance and support to those in need. Additionally, ongoing counseling services will be available to ensure that everyone affected by this loss receives the care and support they need.

The well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment as we mourn the loss of a member of our school family. We encourage our students, families and staff to lean on one another for support and to reach out to our counseling services if needed.

Joye said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as deputies gather additional details.