Sumter, SC man killed in shooting near Air Force base: Coroner

An 81-year-old Midlands man was found dead last year and the search continues for his killer, or killers, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.

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Stephen Edward Collins was fatally shot, according to the Sumter County Coroner’s Office.

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On July 8, 2022, Collins was found in his Edgehill Road home in Sumter, the coroner said. That’s near Shaw Air Force Base.

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Collins was supposed to meet with employees, according to the coroner. Collins owns Collins Tree Service and operated the business from his home, the sheriff’s office said. Collins lived alone, according to the sheriff’s office.

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When he didn’t come out to meet them, an unresponsive Collins was discovered inside the home by an employee, who called 911, officials said.

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The coroner’s office said Collins’ death is “most definitely a homicide,” and the sheriff’s office said Collins was shot multiple times and died at the scene.

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Information about when Collins was shot was not available. An autopsy was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

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No other injuries were reported.

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There was no word on a shooter, or shooters, or a motive for the gunfire.

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No arrests have been reported by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting along with the coroner’s office. On Friday, more than nine months after the shooting, the sheriff’s office made a renewed plea to the public asking for information about Collins’ death.

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“We have continued to follow all leads, but to date, there has not been an arrest,” the sheriff’s office said. “We are seeking the public’s help in passing on any information they may have, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”

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Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-436-2004, CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC, or submit a tip online.

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Collins, a West Virginia native, served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years and retired as a Major, according to his obituary.

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“He was an avid boater, collector, and woodworker,” the obituary said. “He loved music and played both the accordion and trumpet. Steve was a longtime member of Shaw Heights Baptist Church where he served for many years as a deacon.”

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Both a funeral service, in Sumter, and burial, in West Virginia, were held in July 2022, according to the obituary.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2022, 9:25 am.