Police are seeking the public's assistance to locate a suspect in a Jan. 19 drive-by shooting in east Charleston that left two teenagers wounded.
The suspect, who reportedly was fingered by eyewitnesses, is identified as Madison Paige Swain, according to Interim Charleston Police Chief Jerry "Bubba" Williams II.
The chief said Swain is a white female, about 25 years old, 5-3, 150 pounds, has brown and red hair, and drives a bronze 2012 Chevrolet Cruze.
Williams said Swain had been staying at a house just down the street from 251 Eskridge St. — site of last Tuesday night's attack — but has not been seen there since the incident.
"We are asking the public, if they know her whereabouts, to please call 911 or the Charleston Police Department at 647-5841," the chief noted.
Williams said "approximately 12 to 15 rounds" were fired at the Eskridge Street residence from a 9 mm weapon.
Interim Charleston Police Chief Jerry "Bubba" Williams II
"Witnesses stated that the suspect came down the street shooting, turned around and came back shooting again," the chief explained. "It probably didn't take 2 to 3 minutes for the whole thing to happen."
A lot of damage was caused by the short-lived incident, which occurred at about 9 p.m., he added.
"The whole house was riddled with bullets," said Williams. "There were bullet holes in the walls, through the windows. Six shell casings were recovered from the scene, along with two projectiles from the house: one in the living room floor and one in the kitchen floor. There were several in the wall that we didn't recover due to, well, we just try not to tear a house up."
The chief added that one of the projectiles struck an interior wall in a bedroom where a 3-year-old child was asleep.
The two juveniles who were wounded were in the front yard of the property, Williams noted.
A 15-year-old male was struck once in the upper right knee and was airlifted to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, where the chief said he underwent surgery to remove the bullet and was released the next day. He will need some follow-up rehab, said Williams.
A 17-year-old male was grazed on the leg and was not transported for treatment, Williams added.
In all, four people, including two adults, were in the front yard at the time of the shooting. Six people — four adults as well as the 3-year-old and a 10-year-old — were inside the house, the chief explained.
"It's a miracle that all we had is a 15-year-old who was flown to Le Bonheur and discharged the next day," said Williams. "With the house riddled and with that many people, it's a miracle."
While noting that the investigation is ongoing, the chief said the incident is believed to be domestic in nature. He said Swain allegedly is the ex-girlfriend of a man who was at the site of last week's shooting.
