Davon Jermaine Mickle, 40, of Kershaw, was sentenced on Jul. 31 to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm following an incident near a Camden nightclub. Evidence presented during the investigation showed that on Aug. 19, 2023, the Camden Police Department responded to a shooting where three victims reported being harassed by Mickle at the nightclub before seeing him with an AR-style rifle in the parking lot.
The victims stated they saw Mickle place the rifle in a car and later retrieve it after an argument as they were leaving. Mickle then allegedly fired nearly two dozen shots at their vehicle. Officers found 23 cartridges at the scene and observed one bullet hole in the victims’ car bumper. The victims identified Mickle as the shooter, and authorities discovered he had an outstanding arrest warrant.
Deputies from the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office located Mickle at his residence sitting in his vehicle with an AR-style rifle visible inside. He was detained and officers secured the firearm. Surveillance footage confirmed that the shooter wore clothing matching what Mickle had on during his arrest. Although investigators determined that this gun was not used in the shooting, residue tests indicated that Mickle had recently fired a weapon.
Mickle is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions including possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine near a school, among other offenses. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., sentenced him to 180 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release; there is no parole in federal cases.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies tailored to specific community needs as part of Operation Take Back America.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated alongside local agencies; Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted this case for South Carolina’s federal district office—a team responsible for criminal prosecutions and civil litigation across South Carolina, according to the official website.