The Florence County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting during a Timmonsville softball game that wounded a Lamar man, Sunday evening.
The victim was shot several times in his car parked on Milk Street by the ballfield in Timmonsville.
He managed to walk to the edge of the field where he collapsed, according to spectators.
He remains in an area hospital, but his condition is not being released at this time.
Deputies talked with spectators and people who lived near the ballfield to develop leads on a suspect.
Abbey Kirkland has organized softball games in Timmonsville for the past 40 years. He does it to provide positive, recreational activities in the community.
Kirkland says four decades of peaceful games came to an abrupt stop Sunday evening.
"All of a sudden we hear gunshots and I thought it was fire crackers, but it was gunshots."
According to deputies, there were at least five shots fired and there were between 75 to 80 fans in the stands in the middle of the first inning.
Kirkland says everyone was scrambling for safety.
Decaurie Brown, 12, was helping to work the concession stand. He says when he heard the gunshots, he ran and got his two-year-old sister.
"I was nervous because I didn't know where the bullet was gonna go and I didn't know like where he was shooting," said Decaurie Brown.
Deputies believe the shooter fired from the woods. Witnesses say they saw the shooter run back into the woods, down a path that leads to a highway.
"Some guy hold a rag to where he was shot at and told him don't let him get up. Hold him down to the rescue squad come," Kirkland explained.
He says paramedics got to the scene and rushed the victim to the hospital.
Despite what happened, Kirkland says he plans to move forward with next Sunday's game and continue his 40 year tradition of summer games at the ballfield.
He plans to ask deputies with the Florence County Sheriff's Office to provide security at the next game since Timmonsville no longer has a police department.
If you have any information on this shooting, you're asked to call the Florence County Sheriff's Offfice at (843) 665-2121.
