Unborn Baby Dies After Man Shoots Pregnant Woman; Suspect Charged With Murder

A pregnant woman lost her unborn child after someone opened fire in the parking lot of a South Carolina apartment complex Tuesday. The woman and another person sustained injuries in the incident.

Officers responded to a 911 call and arrived at the Cardinal Glen Apartments in Greenwood on Tuesday morning. Witnesses informed Greenwood Police a man was trying to get into a car when the suspect showed up, WSPA reported. Two women were already inside the vehicle.

The suspect was carrying what was described as an assault-type weapon, police chief T.J. Chaudoin said, reported Index Journal. Moments later, he opened fire, hitting the other man in the leg. Another bullet hit one of the women, who was about nine months pregnant, in the back.

"What we know right now is this is a beef between some gentlemen, which caused rounds to be fired," Chaudoin noted.

The man and the pregnant woman were already transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot injuries when police arrived at the parking lot. Sadly, the woman's unborn child died following the shooting.

The identities of the two victims were not revealed. Police said their condition was stable.

The suspect, 21-year-old Javier Kevion Williams, was later taken into custody. He was charged with murder and held at Greenwood County Detention Center. Williams had posted a $24,000 surety bond on Monday for gun and drug charges he received a few days prior to the shooting incident, Fox Carolina reported citing court records.

"It's a very sad day here in Greenwood because a child who didn't even get to live their life is now not going to have a life. It tears your heart up to have to even report this crap, but these are young men that don't need to be on our streets. These are young men that need to be, in my opinion, in prison for the rest of their life," Chaudoin said in a video update posted on Facebook.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.