Sherman Devine Boone, a 29-year-old resident of Columbia, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegal firearm possession following prior felony and domestic violence convictions.
According to information presented during the investigation, Richland County deputies responded to reports of gunfire at a residence in Columbia. When officers arrived, they encountered Boone attempting to leave the scene with a child. The child’s mother asked Boone to return the child. Deputies observed a firearm in Boone’s waistband as he approached them while holding the child and repeatedly said, “go ahead and shoot me” and “just kill me.” After giving the child back to its mother, Boone surrendered without further incident.
The investigation revealed that before law enforcement arrived, Boone had argued with the child’s mother. During this altercation, he pushed her and grabbed her by the throat. She managed to get him out of the house, after which he fired several rounds into the air while threatening her.
Boone’s criminal history includes convictions for use of a vehicle without permission, grand larceny, common law robbery, strong arm robbery, assault and battery, and criminal domestic violence. Because of these prior offenses, he was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon handed down a sentence of 57 months imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on both counts; these terms will be served concurrently. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The Department of Justice updated its violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021 to strengthen PSN by focusing on building trust within communities, supporting organizations working to prevent violence before it starts, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking outcomes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting.
“go ahead and shoot me”
“just kill me.”
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