Tyler L. Austin, a 19-year-old from Newberry, South Carolina, was remembered by those who knew him for his kind and loving nature. Known for an infectious smile that could light up any room, Tyler was a cherished son, brother, and friend. He had a passion for the outdoors and could often be found fishing or simply enjoying time with his extensive and close-knit family. His sudden death left his loved ones and the wider community in a state of profound grief, struggling to comprehend the violent loss of a young man with a bright future ahead of him.
The evening of Friday, October 30, 2026, was shattered by gunfire in the small, rural town of Pomaria, a community of fewer than 200 people. Around that time, the Newberry County Sheriff's Office dispatch began receiving calls about multiple shots being fired in the vicinity of Folk Street and Holloway Street.
A short time later, the situation escalated as more calls came in, this time reporting that a car had been shot into on Peak Road, only a short distance from the location of the initial reports. First responders and sheriff's deputies rushed to the scene on Peak Road, where they discovered a grim scene inside a vehicle.
They found two young men suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them was Tyler L. Austin. Despite the efforts of emergency medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, who was not publicly identified, was critically injured and had to be airlifted to a local hospital for emergency treatment. The quiet, pastoral setting of Newberry County was left shaken by the brutal and unexpected violence that had claimed one young life and left another fighting for survival.
The Newberry County Sheriff's Office immediately launched an intensive investigation into the deadly shooting. As deputies and investigators began processing the scene and interviewing potential witnesses, Sheriff Lee Foster assured the public that they were "working on suspects" and that there was no ongoing danger to the community. Their efforts yielded swift results, suggesting a focused and determined search for those responsible for the attack.
Within a day of the shooting, the sheriff's office announced a significant breakthrough, having arrested four suspects in connection with the homicide. The individuals were taken into custody and charged with murder. They were identified as Dakerian Lytrell Greenwood, 18, of Pomaria; Jayden Gallman, 18, of Prosperity; Kaevion Xydarius Eigner, a 17-year-old from Newberry; and Montieth Brown, 18, of Prosperity. The arrests brought a small measure of relief to a community on edge, but it did little to ease the pain of the families affected.
As of late October 2026, all four suspects were being held in custody as they awaited a bond hearing. The Newberry County Sheriff's Office stated that the investigation remained active and ongoing as they continued to piece together the precise circumstances and motive that led to the shooting on Peak Road. The community, meanwhile, began to mourn the loss of Tyler Austin, a young life cut tragically short, while holding out hope and prayers for the full recovery of the second victim wounded in the attack. The case is now proceeding through the South Carolina court system.
