Sheriff’s office says victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A St. Helena Island woman charged in connection with a domestic-related shooting earlier this month has been released from the Beaufort County Detention Center after posting a $25,000 surety bond.
Stephanie Elaine Legree, 55, was arrested by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office following a shooting reported shortly after midnight July 5 at a residence on White Sands Circle on St. Helena Island.
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded after receiving a report of a gunshot victim and found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was alert and responsive when deputies arrived, and deputies provided aid until Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services transported him to a local hospital for treatment. His injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening.
The Sheriff’s Office determined the shooting occurred during a domestic argument at the residence. Lt. Danny Allen, public information officer for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the victim and Legree were in a domestic relationship. Investigators also recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting.
Legree was arrested without incident and charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature.
Court records show the charge was filed in Beaufort County General Sessions Court on July 6, where the case remains pending.
According to the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index, a judge set Legree’s bond at $25,000 cash or surety on July 5. Court records show the bond was posted July 6 through Larry Bail Bonding/Palmetto Surety, and Legree was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center later that day.
Domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature is a felony under South Carolina law and is the state’s most serious domestic violence offense.
The incident remains under investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.