Iven James Caldwell dies after sustaining gunshot wounds fired by his mothers’ boyfriend- X’Zavier Davis- who became enraged after being locked out of the house after a night of drinking.
A South Carolina man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting at his live-in girlfriend and her seven year old son- leading to the child dying from injuries sustained in the crossfires of a domestic dispute.
X’Zavier Sharif Davis, 26, is accused of shooting at a vehicle containing his girlfriend, their two children and her son from a previous relationship following an argument at their home early on Saturday morning, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Both the mother and Iven James Caldwell were shot, with the boy mortally succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
Told Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster: ‘Fired numerous rounds into a car. Containing small children, two of which were his biological children, striking his partner and her child. There’s no misunderstanding in that.’
Adding, ‘A gun doesn’t do that by itself’.
Sheriff Foster added that on the night of the shooting, X’Zavier Davis had been drinking.
X’Zavier Davis victim: ‘He was just light of the world. he would shine the light in a darkest place’.
‘He was a child that could touch anybody’s heart,’ Caldwell’s grandmother Dinnie Hutner told ABC News. ‘To know Iven is to love Iven, and he had a great big smile. He’ll truly be missed in our family.’
Adding, ‘He was just light of the world. he would shine the light in a darkest place. He was just a loving caring child.’
Davis was originally charged with four counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. The count related to the shooting of the child has now been upgraded to murder.
Caldwell, who was a student at Gallman Elementary School at the time of his death, was well-liked boy who ‘had a bright future,’ his relative and Pastor James Boulware said.
Told Gallman Principal Nikki Hunter of the fallen student, ‘Iven Caldwell was funny, loving, had many friends, charismatic, a true people person, and had the most beautiful, infectious smile. He worked hard and never gave up even if the work was difficult. We were blessed to have him be a part of our Gator Family.’
Authorities said Davis and Caldwell’s mother got into an argument at around 3.15am on Saturday when Davis returned home to their house on Cherry Lane only for the man to find the doors were locked.
Davis proceeded to audibly demand that he needed to be let in to the home but everyone had already gone to bed. Upon finally being able to gain entry the boyfriend began verbally assaulting his partner and the children.
The women then gathered the children, exited through the backdoor of the home and got into a car in an attempt to flee, when Davis allegedly fired shots from a handgun at the vehicle.
X’Zavier Davis shooting rampage: ‘I just heard gun shots, like pop pop pop pop pop pop.’
The child’s grandmother Vinnie Hunter who lives next door to the family said she heard the weapon being discharged.
‘I just heard some gun shots, like pop pop pop pop pop pop, and I shook my husband and I asked him to get up, I suppose something had happened, somebody’s shooting,’ Hunter said. ‘It was so close, I thought it was outside my bedroom window.’
As the mother was driving to Newberry County Memorial Hospital she noticed Caldwell had been shot in the head.
Due to the severity of his injuries he had to be transferred to a another hospital in Columbia, where he died at around 2pm on Monday.
‘As a parent, my heart just aches for the mother and children who had to watch this child be shot and eventually die from this senseless act of violence,’ Sheriff Lee Foster said.
‘It is simply abhorrent to me that this child’s life was taken because of the willful, senseless, and reckless actions of this suspect.’
The family has said it will hold a memorial service for Caldwell on Saturday.
Davis is currently in custody at the Newberry County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail.
