Sheryl Deneise Johnson, 57, of Anderson, was convicted last week by an Oconee County jury of Attempted Murder, Burglary First Degree, and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime in connection with a shooting that occurred on August 6, 2024, at the Seneca Gardens Apartment Complex, announced Solicitor Micah E. Black.
Officers with the Seneca Police Department responded to a shooting at 819 Laing Court in the Seneca Gardens Apartment Complex and found a male victim suffering from a gunshot graze wound above his eyebrow. After the victim received medical treatment, law enforcement conducted an investigation and determined that Sheryl Johnson and a co-defendant had traveled to the apartment complex intending to assault the victim and his girlfriend. The attack was reportedly motivated by an unsubstantiated story circulating on social media concerning one of the victim’s children.
As the confrontation escalated, the victims attempted to retreat into their apartment. Johnson and her co-defendant pursued them and continued the assault. Evidence presented at trial showed that Johnson forced her way through the threshold of the apartment door, further escalating the violence. She then retrieved a firearm, brandished it, and fired a single shot at the victim, striking him above the eyebrow. Officers with the Seneca Police Department recovered the bullet from inside the apartment and collected multiple video recordings that corroborated the victims’ account of the incident.
Assistant Solicitors Cory Jones and Holden Freel prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, with assistance from Investigator Jessica Sanders and Victim Advocate Michele Foster. Lee Cole of the Anderson Bar represented the defendant. Lead Investigator Michael Teramano of the Seneca Police Department played a critical role in both the investigation and apprehension of Johnson.
“Sheryl Johnson committed an intentional and dangerous act of violence when she traveled to the Seneca Gardens apartment complex, assaulted the victim, pursued the victims into their residence, produced a firearm, pointed it at the victim, and pulled the trigger,” stated Solicitor Black. “This calculated and deliberate conduct cannot be tolerated, and my office remains committed to prosecuting those who choose to commit violent acts in our community.”
The Honorable Scott Sprouse presided over the trial and sentenced Johnson to fifteen (15) years, suspended upon the service of ten (10) years’ imprisonment, followed by five (5) years of probation. The State contemporaneously objected to the sentence and filed a motion for reconsideration, noting that Burglary First Degree carries a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years under South Carolina law. A hearing on that motion will be scheduled at a later date.