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Lancaster man charged with shooting into vehicles occupied by children

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A 24-year-old Lancaster man was charged after police said he shot a handgun into two occupied cars on Norfolk Road in Lancaster.

Deputies were called to the area at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and talked to the people in the cars.

One vehicle, a Ford Expedition, had three adults and four children ages five months to 12 years old.

The other vehicle, a Honda Accord, had two adults and a 13-year-old child inside.

They were relatives and acquaintances who were traveling together, the sheriff’s office said.

Witnesses said they saw the alleged shooter, Ja.Mes Marcell Blair, in the yard at 2723 Norfolk Road shooting a handgun toward the cars.

A bullet struck the left rear tire of the Expedition, and a bullet passed through the open driver's window of the Accord and struck the windshield.

No one was injured.

Blair was found inside the Norfolk Road home and was arrested.

A stolen pistol was also found inside the home and was seized by authorities. In the yard, there were shell casings.

Blair was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and one count of possession of a stolen pistol.

Bond for Blair was denied by a magistrate Friday.

"What happened yesterday afternoon makes absolutely no sense," said Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile. "Blair is charged with firing multiple shots at two vehicles occupied by a total of 10 people including five children. It is amazing and fortunate that no one was injured by the gunfire.
"Our deputies got to the scene and secured it, which prevented Blair from escaping. We are glad that his bond was denied."

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