On August 20, 2009, 21-year-old Terrance Latrell Mayes was shot and killed outside a home in Blackville, South Carolina during a violent altercation. The same shooting seriously wounded his brother, Zantrell Mayes. The confrontation involved an argument between Terrance Mayes and another man, Demetrius Smalls, who shot both brothers; Terrance died at the scene and Zantrell survived.

Law enforcement identified Demetrius Smalls as the shooter and arrested him. He was charged with murder in connection with Terrance’s death, assault and battery with intent to kill for the attack on Zantrell, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Smalls said he acted in self-defense during a physical confrontation. A grand jury returned indictments on January 25, 2011, and a jury later found Smalls guilty of the charges related to Terrance’s death and the assault on his brother.