The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office has announced an arrest in connection with the shooting death of a man found outside a Circle K convenience store late Monday
Investigators said 37-year-old Darrell Jamell Hogan of Warrenville has been arrested and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the death of Bobby Antonio Johnson.
The shooting occurred shortly before midnight on Monday at the Circle K located at 5412 Jefferson Davis Highway in Beech Island.
Deputies were initially dispatched to the store after a caller reported a person sleeping near the sign. When a deputy arrived, he was flagged down and informed that the man was actually lying on the ground near the entrance to the store.
Deputies found the victim, later identified as the 41-year-old Aiken man, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff’s officials said investigators determined Hogan shot Johnson with a handgun. According to arrest warrants, Hogan admitted to shooting the victim after being advised of his Miranda rights. Authorities said the shooting was carried out with malice aforethought.
Hogan is currently being held at the Aiken County Detention Center. He has a history of arrests, including drug charges from 2011 and more recent charges two years ago for child neglect, marijuana possession, weapon possession, DUI and child endangerment. The suspect also has a previous arrest for breach of trust with fraudulent intent.
The case was investigated by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from forensic units and the coroner’s office. Body worn camera footage was active during the investigation, officials said.
Johnson’s death prompted an outpouring of messages online from friends and family remembering him as a devoted brother, son and father. One of his final social media posts, made the day he died, read, “Always speak how you feel and never be sorry for being real.”
