FR Law's Cedric James Breaks Down New Charges in Haywood Mall Shooting Case on WYFF News 4
The investigation into the June 13 shooting at Haywood Mall continues to develop. On June 30, Greenville police announced that a third teen, a 16-year-old, had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting, facing charges that include attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. That same day, new charges were filed against 18-year-old Kalief Walker, who now faces an attempted murder charge in the mall shooting along with four additional charges tied to a separate March 27 shooting incident, including discharging a firearm into a dwelling and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
As the case grew more complex, WYFF News 4 turned to FR Law attorney Cedric James to help viewers understand what these charges actually mean. James explained that three of the four new charges carry sentencing ranges rather than fixed penalties, giving the judge significant latitude, but the weapon possession charge is different.
"With these other charges, not having those mandatory minimums, it gives the judge a lot of discretion. This may be a case where it might be 10, it might be 15, it might be five," James told WYFF News 4. "There's no way around it. There's no discretion here. If Mr. Walker is convicted or pleads guilty to that charge, he is going to have to be sentenced to five years on that."
James also explained why the full list of charges against Walker's 17-year-old brother, Kamari, who was the first arrest in the mall shooting and is being charged as an adult, wasn't initially made public. It's standard protocol, not a red flag.
"It's built in that when a juvenile is charged with something to protect, really, their identity, because they are juvenile, they can't have the same rights and responsibilities as an adult," James said.
With both brothers facing charges from the same incident, a natural question is whether they'll be tried together. James explained that the decision isn't up to the families or their attorneys.
"They both kind of stemmed from the same altercation, the same thing, the same occurrence at Haywood Mall. The families [and] defense attorneys, that's something that they would talk about, kind of weigh the pros and cons of, but as far as whether they'll be tried together, that's normally something that's going to be determined by the solicitor. They'll present that to a judge, and the judge will make a determination," James said.
Finally, James pushed back on the assumption that Kalief Walker's prior charges are driving the new ones, emphasizing a bedrock principle of the justice system.
"Both of these young men are innocent until proven guilty. And it doesn't necessarily mean that they're going after him on this case because of the other cases, that they're trying to stack the cards against him," James said. "It very well may have just been in their investigation, when speaking with Mr. Walker, he may have been able to speak to [investigators] regarding their ongoing investigation and determine: Is he a suspect, are we going to rule them out, or are we going to charge him?"
Cases like this show how quickly criminal charges can escalate and how much the details matter, from mandatory minimums to juvenile court protocol. If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in South Carolina, having an attorney who knows the system can make all the difference. Contact FR Law today for a consultation.