A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for a 2020 murder in Gaston.

Christopher David Shumpert, 22 of Gaston, was convicted and sentenced March 30 in Lexington County court, receiving additional convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (with a sentence of 20 years) and possession of a weapon during the commision of a violent crime (with a sentence of five years). The sentences, imposed by Circuit Court Judge Debra McCaslin after a four-day trial, will run concurrently.

“Barry Joe Chavis, Jr., age 28, was shot and killed in his front yard after being confronted by Shumpert and his co-defendant after an argument about a small amount of money,” a release from the 11th Circuit Solicitor's Office states. “After a brief altercation, Shumpert and his co-defendant both fired guns toward Chavis, who was unarmed. Shumpert was armed with a 9mm handgun and his co-defendant was armed with a .300 Blackout rifle. There were 21 rounds fired toward Chavis with two striking him in his back and he was killed instantly. Shumpert and his co-defendant shot another individual twice, once in the leg and once in the stomach. He was transported to the hospital for treatment and released days later.”

The release notes that several witnesses at the scene identified Shumpert and his co-defendant immediately as the shooters, at which point a search ensued.

“The co-defendant was apprehended in Lexington County later that night while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division tracking team apprehended Shumpert at a hotel in Aiken County early the next morning,” the release states. “Both Shumpert and his co-defendant were charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime. The co-defendant’s charges are still pending.”

Deputy Solicitor Rhonda Patterson and Assistant Solicitor Bradley Pogue prosecuted the case on behalf of the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Sgt. Michael “Joe” Hart of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation, with help from investigators with the department’s Major Crimes Unit, along with SLED and the Aiken the Aiken County Sheriff’s Department. 

“This senseless, cowardly, and brutal murder has destroyed three young lives and families,” Patterson is quoted. “The family is grateful for justice and closure.”