Aiken County man charged with shooting woman in the face, severely damaging her jaw

Alexandra Koch, Augusta Chronicle
·2 min read

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a woman was shot in the face Monday in Salley, South Carolina.

Christopher Maurice Gleaton, 41, of Wagener, is charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to jail records. He was not granted bond.

Just before 11:30 p.m. Monday, eight deputies responded to a home on Sandra Lane in Salley for a shooting.

Deputies met with Gleaton, who was in the front yard when they arrived, according to an incident report. He did not comply with commands to put his arms behind his back and was repeatedly asking deputies to help the victim.

After getting Gleaton into a patrol car, deputies went into the home and found a female victim sitting on the couch in the living room with the lower part of her jaw hanging from the left side of her face, according to the report.

Deputies also noted there was blood all over the floor, according to the report.

Deputies placed a shirt over what was left of the woman's jaw to control the bleeding and spoke with children who were inside the home, according to the report.

A gunshot residue test was administered and Gleaton was taken to the Aiken County Detention Center, according to the report.

The woman's current medical status was unknown as of Thursday afternoon.

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Prior arrests in Aiken County

Gleaton had a number of prior arrests in Aiken County according to Clerk of Court records, including:

  • 2001: Non-violent burglary (pleaded guilty), simple larceny (found guilty at trial)

  • 2011: Simple possession of marijuana (case disposed)

  • 2013: Possession of drug paraphernalia (case disposed)

  • 2014: Possession with intent to distribute marijuana within half a mile of a school (case disposed), drug possession (pleaded guilty)

  • 2015: Possession of marijuana (pleaded guilty)

  • 2017: Failure to stop for a blue light (case dismissed), distributing marijuana near a school (pleaded guilty), drug possession (pleaded guilty), open container of beer (found guilty at trial)

  • August 2022: Possession with intent to distribute marijuana (This case has not yet been resolved. Gleaton was out on a $5,000 surety bond granted by Judge Patricia Y. Rushton at the time of the 2024 shooting.)

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Woman shot in the face, Aiken county man charged with attempted murder