3 Chester SC schools closed due to manhunt. Deputy returns fire when suspect shoots first
Three Chester County schools will remain closed and use remote learning Tuesday as a police manhunt continues for an armed suspect who allegedly shot at two sheriff’s deputies, officials said.
Residents of Richburg have been asked by Chester County Sheriff’s Office deputies to lock their doors and stay inside. Richburg is off S.C. 9 and close to Interstate 77.
Lewisville High School, Lewisville Middle School, and Lewisville Elementary School are nearby. The Chester County School District decided to keep the three Lewisville schools closed. All county schools started on a two-hour delay because of the manhunt, school officials said in a statement.
Due to police activity on Highway 9 near the Lewisville area, all Chester County Schools will be on a 2-hour delay this morning. Please monitor your emails or our social media pages for any possible updates. pic.twitter.com/i65t8gAkrU
— Chester Co. Schools (@Chester_Schools) May 18, 2021
Sheriff: Deputies returned fire after being shot at
Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey told reporters one deputy returned fire at the suspect after the suspect shot at the deputies.
Neither deputy was hurt, Dorsey said. Two police vehicles were damaged. A picture of a damaged patrol SUV provided by the sheriff’s office to The Herald showed a bullet hole in the windshield.
It is unclear if the suspect was hit when deputies returned fire, Dorsey told reporters.
Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, identified the suspect as Tyler Donnet Terry, 27, of Great Falls in Chester County.
Chester deputies have warrants against Terry charging him with two counts of attempted murder for shooting at deputies, Suskin said. As of 9:30 a.m. Terry remained uncaught, Suskin said.
Arrest warrants state the incident started after deputies attempted to make a traffic stop when the car was in the parking lot of the Bojangle’s restaurant off S.C. 9 while the restaurant was closed.
Manhunt ongoing for shooter, driver arrested
S.C. 9, the main east-west highway in Chester County that intersects with I-77, remains blocked as deputies, State Law Enforcement Division agents, S.C Highway Patrol troopers, and police from York and Lancaster counties assist in the manhunt, officials said.
The search location includes several wooded areas and extends to large industrial areas nearby, officials said.
We want to let the community know the scene on Hwy 9 is still active & dangerous. Still no major updates at this time.
We continue to recommend people in the area of Hwy 9 & Lewisville High School make sure their doors are locked and call 911 to report any suspicious activity.— Chester County Sheriff's Office (@ChesterSheriff) May 18, 2021
The incident started before midnight off Edgeland Road in Richburg near Exit 65 of I-77, according to Suskin. A chase went on for more than 20 miles that went into York County and back to Chester County.
Terry was a passenger, officials said.
A woman driver in the vehicle was taken into custody but Terry fled on foot, officials said.
The driver, Adrienne Roshea Simpson, 34, of Myrtle Beach, is charged with failure to stop for a blue light, according to arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
