Two teens die in Halloween shooting

Two teenagers died after being shot outside a Cook Out restaurant in Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday night. A third person sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the same incident.

Police Chief Art Littlejohn reported that officers responded to the location on John B. White Sr. Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. following reports of multiple gunshots. Upon arrival, deputies found two individuals with gunshot wounds in the parking lot. First aid was administered at the scene before paramedics transported the victims to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Both teens later died at the hospital.

The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Jayden Marek Watson, 15, and Shane Carter Dawkins, 17. Littlejohn stated that a family member drove the third injured person to the hospital.

Littlejohn described the group as children returning from trick-or-treating and seeking a meal. "I want to be totally clear, the young people that were out here were not bad young people; they were just kids," he said. He attributed the violence to someone who pulled out a gun and started shooting.

No arrests have been made, and police have not identified any suspects. The investigation remains active as authorities review evidence from the scene.