A man from Florence County, South Carolina, was charged with several crimes this week after barricading himself, setting a house on fire and shooting deputies last week, according to the South Carolina Police Division (SLED)
Christopher J. Gaskins, 49, of Coward, South Carolina, was charged with attempted murder, second-degree arson, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, launching a firearm in a vehicle while occupied and disturbance of the religious cult.
Police released details of the shooting on Wednesday.
According to arrest warrants, Gaskins left a voice message for his wife threatening to burn down his house – which is across the street from a church – and shoot police officers.
“Your house is on fire and you will have a lot of deaths on your hands because I am in the house loaded with weapons waiting for the police to arrive,” Gaskins said in the voice message to his wife, according to the police.
Gaskins barricaded himself at home and waited for the police to arrive, according to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
When deputies arrived, he set the house on fire and fired more than 10 times, according to arrest warrants.
Two bullets hit the vehicle from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office while the occupants were inside, the warrant said.
Florence County deputies then responded to the fire and shot Gaskins, according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken to the hospital due to his injury.
No police officers were injured in the shooting.
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Since Gaskins’ house was very close to Coward Church of God, Wednesday night’s religious service was interrupted.
After Gaskins was read about his Miranda rights, he admitted to shooting the police, according to arrest warrants.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office asked SLED to investigate the incident, which was the seventh shooting involving a police officer in South Carolina this year.
SLED investigates police shootings as a matter of protocol in the vast majority of local law enforcement jurisdictions in the state of Palmetto – presenting independent investigative reports to the attorney with jurisdiction over the county or county where the shooting occurred.
The investigation is ongoing.
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