Forest Acres shooter sentenced to 17 years in prison
February 6, 2026
Ty’Quan Rashad Kelly pleaded guilty on Feb. 5 to attempted murder, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by persons convicted of certain crimes. The Honorable Heath P. Taylor sentenced Kelly to 17 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
On Feb. 3, 2025, Kelly’s girlfriend and her mother began arguing while the mother drove him home. As Kelly exited the vehicle, he pulled out a handgun with an extended magazine and modifications that made the weapon capable of automatic fire. Kelly fired multiple shots into the car through the back window. Two shots struck the driver’s headrest, but did not penetrate it or strike the victim.
The Forest Acres Police Department responded to Kelly’s residence after the shooting. Kelly jumped from a second-story window to flee from law enforcement, but officers apprehended him.
The victims identified the firearm used in the shooting, which investigators determined had been stolen from Lexington County.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. Assistant Solicitors Joseph Kreush and Cecil “Jack” Jackson led the prosecution. Forest Acres police investigated the attempted murder.