SLED Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Spartanburg County

Agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Monday, May 29, 2023 in Spartanburg County.

Officers with the Landrum Police Department responded to an apartment complex off Randolph Avenue in Landrum, SC just before 4 a.m. for a disturbance call. Officers found an injured woman, later identified as Shana McClain, 53, and a man armed with a knife outside of the residence. Units from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), Polk County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Inman Police Department, and Campobello Police Department responded to the scene to assist. Following an encounter with the armed man, later identified as Freddie Edwards Jr., 58, SCSO deputies and Landrum Police officers fired at and struck him. Both Edwards and McClain died at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.

This is an ongoing investigation. As such, no other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time.

SLED conducts law enforcement officer involved shooting (OIS) investigations at the request of the agency involved in the incident or the agency with jurisdiction. When requested to investigate an OIS, SLED’s goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as timely as is possible under the circumstances. SLED agents will conduct interviews with all potential witnesses in this matter. Further, SLED will collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed. Information gathered in the SLED investigation of the incident will be summarized in a case file report to be submitted to prosecutors.

The incident in Spartanburg County was the 13th officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2023. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the Landrum Police Department this year. This is the 2nd officer involved shooting for the SCSO this year.

In 2022, there were 32 officer involved shootings in South Carolina. The Landrum Police Department had no officer involved shootings last year. The SCSO had 3 officer involved shootings last year.