LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A Gaston man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting his ex-girlfriend in Lexington County.
Prosecutors say 27-year-old Parris D’Shawn Sutton pled guilty to attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Chief Administrative Judge Debra R. McCaslin sentenced Sutton to 28 years in prison. Sutton received a 23-year sentence on the attempted murder charge followed by a consecutive 5-year sentence for the weapons charge. Under South Carolina law, the attempted murder charge is classified as a violent and “no parole” offense.
On September 17, 2022, around 3 a.m., authorities say Sutton arrived at a home on Edmund Hwy in the Gaston area of Lexington County after learning his ex-girlfriend was there. Earlier that night, prosecutors say Sutton sent a text to his ex-girlfriend threatening to kill her because he believed she was with another man.
Once at the residence, prosecutors say Sutton physically assaulted the woman in front of several witnesses and threatened to kill her. He was asked to leave the residence by the homeowner, who was a female friend of the victim.
Authorities say Sutton returned a short time later under the pretense of needing to charge his phone. Once Sutton was inside, prosecutors say he went to the bedroom where his ex-girlfriend was lying in bed and shot her multiple times until his gun jammed.
As a result of the shooting, the victim is now paralyzed.
Sutton was arrested about a month later in Charleston, where the victim was undergoing treatment for her injuries.
During the course of the investigation, investigators say they located messages Sutton sent after the shooting. Prosecutors say Sutton wrote “I did what I did cause she was being sneaky” and later said that he “blanked out” and it would’ve gotten “real ugly” if the gun did not jam.
During sentencing, the victim, who now relies on a wheelchair due to her paralysis, reportedly addressed the court, sharing how the shooting has impacted her and changed her life forever.
