3rd suspect arrested in Aiken slaying of 3 teens

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the slaying of three teenagers over the summer in Aiken.

Suspect Alvin Artis IV, was arrested Wednesday in Oklahoma, according to Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt.

The shooting happened June 26 after an altercation on Wadley Drive in Aiken County, claiming the lives of 17-year-old Willie Garrett IV and 16-year-olds Ivan Perry and Cameron Carroll.

Garrett and Perry were found dead at the scene, and Carroll died later at a hospital.

A family member of Carroll and Garrett says they were cousins.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Lawton Police Department arrested Artis around 10:40 a.m. Central time. Artis was taken to the Comanche County Detention Center, where he will be held pending an extradition hearing.

Two additional suspects, Xabian U. Bailey, 18, and a 15-year old, were arrested June 26 and June 30 respectively.

Hunt said “We are grateful for the relationships we have with State and Federal law enforcement partners that assisted with this latest arrest. Even though we still have work to do, it is our hope that these arrests bring some comfort to the families of Willie, Ivan, and Cameron.”

The slaying is among dozens that have claimed more than 60 lives since spring, affecting communities large and small on both sides of the Savannah River. Authorities have blamed much of the problem on gangs, and many of the victim, like those on Wadley Drive, have been young men and teenagers.

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