Your Pickens County

By Zack Mauldin
Associate Editor
CENTRAL — Four people were arrested Friday in connection with a Seneca shooting that led to school officials closing the doors on scheduled basketball games between Daniel High and Seneca High.
Three Westminster teens and a Mountain Rest man were charged with firing into a dwelling after investigators said 12 shots were fired into a Seneca home on Thomas Heights Circle on the night of Sunday, Jan. 24.
Colby Edward Watts, 17, Jeffery Willimon Sandifer, 18, Jeremy Lawing, 18, and Keith Moore were taken into custody Friday.
An investigation is still ongoing in the incident. Seneca police said that 12 shots were fired into the dwelling from two different firearms and separate vehicles. Officers said that at least one Seneca High basketball player was in the home at the time of the shooting.
Although Friday’s games between the Lions and Bobcats were ultimately postponed due to icy weather, officials from school districts in both Pickens and Oconee County announced Wednesday that the games would be played in a closed gym, citing “precautions for student safety,” but declining to go into specific details on the circumstances surrounding the decision.
After a day of questions from parents, fans and media in the community, School District of Pickens County media relations director Julie Thompson finally addressed the reason for the drastic measure in a release Thursday afternoon.
“The joint decision was made as the result of serious threats against the safety of two Daniel High School players specifically targeting Friday night’s basketball game,” Thompson said. “Those threats came after a weekend drive-by shooting incident in Seneca.”
Seneca Police Chief John Covington said that an investigation revealed that no Daniel High players were involved in the shooting.
“We are relieved to know that Daniel students were not involved in the incident,” Daniel principal Sharon Huff said Thursday. “We are still concerned that our players have received serious threats and feel it is in the best interest of our students’ safety to keep the game closed to the public.”
Only team members, coaches, officials, game personnel, school administrators, law enforcement officials and members of the media would have been allowed to attend the games Friday night at Daniel based on the original decision, while the junior varsity boys’ and girls’ games scheduled for that night at Seneca were cancelled. School district officials announced Friday that players’ parents would also be allowed to attend.
The decision was made following conversations with local law enforcement officials and the South Carolina High School League, school officials said.
“This was a joint decision preceded by careful consideration of many options,” Seneca High School principal Cliff Roberts said in Wednesday’s release. “We are confident that our decision to close the varsity games and cancel the junior varsity games is best for ensuring the safety of our students.”
Roberts and Huff stressed that the community incidents have not impacted day-to-day instruction and activities at the schools.
“It’s unfortunate that a community incident negatively impacts a high school game in this way,” said Sharon Huff, principal at Daniel. “The Daniel vs. Seneca game is always well-attended, and people enjoy the rivalry. Our athletic program will lose revenue; however, we can’t put a price on student safety. We’re simply taking precautions to protect students.”
Covington applauded the administrations’ decision.
“The rivalry between Seneca and Daniel has always been intense,” Covington said. “Recently we have observed a trend of disturbances and violence after the games that have spilled out into the parking lot, area businesses and neighborhoods. Based on this trend, the action taken by the school districts is prudent and ensures the safety of the students and the public.”
The games were rescheduled for Feb. 10 in Central, but Daniel athletic director Dusty Oates said that he was unsure whether the games would be open to the public on the make-up date.