LANCASTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office tells us Robbery was the motivation behind the home invasion that left a woman dead and her son seriously injured.
Deputies say Kristopher Orlando Thomas, 21,was armed with a handgun and the 15-year-old was armed with an aluminum baseball bat when they forced their way into the home with the intent to steal possessions from the family.
Authorities tell us the adult male resident of the home was beaten by both men after a struggle which a handgun was fired by Thomas and struck both 35-year-old Stephanie Johnson and her son. The son is recovering from gunshot wounds. Stephanie Johnson succumbed to her wounds on scene and passed away.
Thomas is charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Burglary 1st Degree, Attempted Armed Robbery, four counts of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Violent Crime, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
The juvenile is being held at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Detention Center in Columbia and will appear before a Lancaster County Family Court judge for a detention hearing.
See below full update: Click here for original story
Update January 17, 2023
Kristopher Orlando Thomas, age 21, of Lancaster has been arrested, and a 15-year-old male juvenile has been detained in connection with the shooting death and the shooting injury at 991 15th Street last Thursday night. Investigators determined the motive for the incident was robbery. Thomas was armed with a handgun, and the juvenile was armed with an aluminum baseball bat. The two entered the home by force with the intent to steal possessions from the family. The adult male resident struggled with the intruders and was beaten by both men. During the struggle Thomas fired the handgun and struck the victims.
Through investigation, Thomas was identified as a suspect and was being sought. He was spotted by a K-9 deputy with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Saturday about 6:00 p. m. on the western side of Lancaster. Other deputies and investigators converged on the area and set a perimeter, and the K-9 ran a track but did not initially locate Thomas. Officers from the Lancaster Police Department, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and a K-9 unit from the York County Sheriff’s Office joined in the search as did a helicopter from the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. About midnight Thomas was located behind Lancaster Manor off Chesterfield Avenue and was taken into custody without incident. Thomas was jailed in the Lancaster County Detention Center. Bond was denied. Thomas is charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Burglary 1st Degree, Attempted Armed Robbery, four counts of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Violent Crime, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Thomas’ photograph is attached.
The juvenile was identified and detained last Friday. He is being held at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Detention Center in Columbia and will appear before a Lancaster County Family Court judge for a detention hearing. Complaints have been filed with the Lancaster County Department of Juvenile Justice alleging the juvenile committed the same offenses as Thomas except the contributing charge.. The Sixth Circuit Solicitor will determine whether to seek prosecution of the juvenile as an adult.
The residents of the home were a family and include the adult man and his fiancé’, the adult woman who was killed. The teenage boys are the sons of the deceased woman. The son who received the gunshot wound is expected to recover.
“We are pleased we identified these two suspects and got them into custody so quickly,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “The investigators with the Multijurisdictional Violent Crime Task Force and our deputies worked around the clock, and we had help from several other agencies during the investigation and the search for the suspects. These interagency relationships allowed us to quickly gather information and get boots on the ground and in the air to put these two in jail. I am thankful for all the help we received, and I hope this family receives some comfort from knowing that those responsible for these horrific crimes will now face justice.”
(All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.)
Anyone with information about this or any other case should call the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388 or contact Midlands Crimestoppers in one of the following ways: dial 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372), log onto www.midlandscrimestoppers.com and click on the “Submit a Tip” tab, or download the P3 Tips App for Apple or Android devices.
