Nearly three weeks after gunfire shattered a July Fourth block party in Batesburg, the families of two men killed are still waiting for answers — and police are pleading with the public for help. The shooting, which erupted during an annual neighborhood celebration on Solomon Street, claimed the lives of Ronald Cleveland Brown III, 39, and his nephew, Devante Elliott, 34. A woman was also struck and wounded; she survived the attack and was at the party celebrating her birthday.

The event, a longstanding tradition for the community, had drawn more than 300 people. What should have been a night of fireworks and togetherness turned into a nightmare. Ronald Cleveland Brown Sr., the father of one victim and grandfather of the other, described the moment he heard the shots and ran toward the chaos. "In disbelief. My son and my grandson were just lying there, weren't even moving. This was very shocking," he said. His voice carried the weight of a man who lost two generations of his family in an instant.

Sandra Brown, the mother and grandmother of the victims, could barely contain her sorrow. "We're going to miss them a whole lot. A whole lot," she said, her words trembling. "I just want justice for my two boys." Her plea echoes through a small town grappling with a crime that feels both personal and senseless.

Batesburg-Leesville Police Chief Dave Bouknight said officers had supported the block party in previous years and never imagined anything like this. "We hate that someone took it upon themselves to come commit such heinous crimes at this party where the community just likes to have a good time," Bouknight said. He stressed that with hundreds of people present, someone must have seen or heard something. "No amount of information is too small," he added.

Brown Sr. reinforced that message, calling on the community to break the code of silence. "As a community, we need to stop all this gun violence. Stop it now. If you see something, say it," he urged. His words reflect a growing frustration across the nation as mass shootings and random acts of violence continue to strike public gatherings.

The investigation remains active, but no arrests have been made. Police are asking anyone with details — even something that seems insignificant — to come forward. The Batesburg-Leesville Police Department is the point of contact for tips. The department has not released a description of possible suspects or a motive, leaving the community on edge.

For the Brown and Elliott families, the pain is raw and unrelenting. They are left with memories of a Fourth of July that should have been a celebration of freedom, not a day of mourning. As they try to heal, the search for answers continues. The question that haunts them: Who pulled the trigger — and why?