Davon Jermaine Mickle, a 40-year-old resident of Kershaw, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea follows an incident on August 19, 2023, when the Camden Police Department responded to reports of a shooting near a nightclub.
According to evidence from the investigation, three victims reported that Mickle harassed one of them at the nightclub and was seen walking around the parking lot with an AR-style rifle before placing it in a car. After an argument with Mickle, the victims left together. As they were leaving, they saw Mickle retrieve the rifle and fire at their car nearly two dozen times. Officers later found 23 cartridge casings at the scene and observed that the victims’ vehicle had been struck by one bullet.
The victims identified Mickle as the shooter. Investigators also learned he had an outstanding arrest warrant. Deputies from the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office found Mickle sitting in his vehicle at home with an AR-style rifle visible in the passenger seat. He was detained and police secured the firearm. Surveillance footage showed that the shooter wore clothing matching what Mickle was wearing when apprehended: specific shoes, blue jean shorts, and black boxers. While investigators determined that this gun was not used in the shooting itself, residue tests confirmed that Mickle had recently fired a weapon.
Mickle is barred from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for drug-related offenses including possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine near a school.
He faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and could receive up to life in federal prison. Additional penalties may include up to $250,000 in fines, restitution payments, and five years of supervised release after serving time in prison. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. accepted his guilty plea; sentencing will occur after review of a report prepared by U.S. Probation Office.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” according to officials involved in prosecuting this case. “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives collaborated with local law enforcement agencies during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting.
