A South Carolina community is mourning the loss of 40-year-old Larisha Sharell Thompson, a mother who was fatally shot while driving her car in what authorities describe as a random and violent attack.
Ten days after the May 2 killing, law enforcement officials have arrested six suspects — including five teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) confirmed that three adults and three juveniles face murder, attempted armed robbery, and second-degree burglary charges.
The adults — Asael Aminadas Torres-Chirinos, 21, Jarby Ardon Ramos-Odari, 18, and Jeyson Sobied Pineda-Salgado, 17 — are all charged as adults.
The three unnamed juveniles, aged 13, 14, and 15, have been charged in Department of Juvenile Justice petitions.
“This was a senseless, unprovoked attack on a woman simply driving her car. Our hearts go out to her family,” said Sheriff Barry Faile in a statement.
Ballistics Breaks the Case
A breakthrough in the investigation came after a April 29 burglary at a nearby gas station — just days before Thompson’s death.
Surveillance footage, physical evidence, and ballistics connected the same 9mm handgun to both the gas station break-in and the fatal shooting.
During the burglary, a suspect fired a shot at a surveillance camera and bathroom door, damaging both. Crime scene investigators collected ballistic evidence that was later matched to shell casings recovered from the May 2 shooting of Thompson.
“A forensic examiner confirmed the same firearm was used in both crimes,” said the LCSO in a press release.
Surveillance video and an eyewitness tied Torres-Chirinos to both crime scenes. When deputies executed a search warrant at his residence, they recovered the handgun allegedly used in the attacks. Forensic examiners later verified it was the same weapon involved in both incidents.
Motive and Aftermath
Investigators believe the suspects attempted to rob Thompson following the shooting but were unable to gain access to her locked vehicle.
All three adult suspects remain in custody at the Lancaster County Detention Center, while the juveniles are being held at a Department of Juvenile Justice facility.
Additionally, all six individuals are now facing potential federal immigration consequences. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has placed immigration detainers on each of the suspects, and officials confirmed that all are subject to removal from the United States based on their immigration status.
Torres-Chirinos faces additional charges of two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien.
Community in Mourning
Thompson’s death has left a deep impact on Lancaster, a city just 50 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Local residents and family members have held vigils in her memory and are demanding answers about how such a brutal act could happen in broad daylight.
“She was just out driving — living her life,” one family member said. “Now she’s gone, and we need justice.”
