By Tony Kukulich
A man was shot and killed Thursday night, Feb. 24, in what the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office called a “targeted event,” and an arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect in the incident.
The victim, identified by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office as 29-year-old Christian Hernandez, appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced Hernandez dead at the scene.
Hernandez’s 22-year-old stepson, Daniel Adame-Guatemala, has been identified as a suspect in the shooting. Investigators obtain a warrant for Adame-Guatamala’s arrest Friday morning on charges of Murder and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime. He remains at large.
Witnesses told investigators that Adame-Guatemala shot Hernandez and fled the scene in a pickup truck prior to the arrival of the police.
Adame-Guatemala is Hispanic, stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 140 pounds. He may be traveling in a silver Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup with South Carolina license plate PDA784. Police caution that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Shortly after 8 p.m., Thursday, deputies responded to the report of a gunshot victim in the Godwin Mobile Home Park on the 100 block of Joe Frazier Road in Burton. They discovered Hernandez and secured the scene to allow paramedics to evaluate his condition before he was pronounced dead.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Adame-Guatamala is urged to contact Sgt. James Tunis at 843-2553426, the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 843-524-2777. Callers wishing to remain anonymous or receive a potential reward can contact Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.
Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He and his wife enjoy exploring their new home state. He can also frequently be found playing bass guitar with a couple of local bands. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com.
