LEE COUNTY, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Corrections and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to an incident at Lee Correctional Institution Sunday night.
Lee Correctional Institution was secured at 2:55 AM following an incident which started at 7:15 PM. The violent riot involved multiple inmate on inmate altercations in three housing units.
The incident at Lee CI resulted in 17 inmates requiring outside medical attention and 7 inmates were killed. The inmates who were killed have been identified:
– Eddie Gaskins, 32, who was serving 10 years for first-degree criminal domestic violence
– Joshua Jenkins, 33, who was serving 15 years for voluntary manslaughter
– Corneilus McClary, 33, who was serving 25 years for first-degree burglary
– Michael Milledge, 44, who was serving 25 years for trafficking crack cocaine
– Damonte Rivera, 24, who was serving life without parole for murder
– Corey Scott, 36, who was serving 22 years for kidnapping and armed robbery
– Raymond Scott, 28, who was serving 20 years for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature
According to the Prison Director, the deadly riot was a gang-related dispute over money, territory and contraband, particularly cell phones.
All SCDC staff and responding law enforcement officers are safe and accounted for.
The incident was the deadliest in the United States in the past 25 years.
SCDC Police Services and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are investigating.
