Surveillance footage helped investigators identify suspect in alleged vehicle-to-vehicle shooting
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A Beaufort man charged with attempted murder in connection with a May 24 shooting in Port Royal has been released from jail after posting bond, according to court records.
Deonte Trevon Blake, 29, was arrested May 28 by the Port Royal Police Department following an investigation into a reported vehicle-to-vehicle shooting near the intersection of 16th Street and Richmond Avenue.
According to the Port Royal Police Department, officers responded to the area at approximately 10:50 a.m., May 24 after receiving reports of shots fired from a vehicle. Officers later located the victim and determined the victim’s vehicle had been struck by gunfire from another vehicle. The suspect fled the area immediately after the shooting.
With assistance from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Beaufort Police Department, investigators canvassed the area and reviewed surveillance footage. Police said Town of Port Royal CCTV cameras helped officers identify the suspect vehicle. Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Blake as the suspect.
According to court records, Blake was charged with attempted murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature.
Police obtained arrest warrants on the day of the shooting, according to the department’s release. Blake was taken into custody four days later and booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center.
General Sessions Court records show the charges were filed May 29. Court records also show surety bonds were posted June 1 through a commercial bonding company, and detention center records indicate Blake was released the same day.
Police have not released additional details regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether anyone was injured.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Port Royal Police Department.
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.