UPDATE: Woman dies from blood loss in officer-involved shooting

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW) -- An autopsy revealed Deborah McCollum died from exsanguination, or blood loss, after a single gunshot wound, the Aiken County coroner said.

Manner of death and a toxicology are still pending after deputy Christopher Salley fired the fatal shot when he saw the woman with a gun at her home.

Deputies were responding to a suicide call on Monday afternoon. Her next door neighbor said her husband recently died.

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW)- "It's just a total shock," said neighbor Donna Carter.

Donna Carter is not used to seeing a crime scene at her next door neighbor's house.

"Definitely not expecting anything like that to happen," said Carter.

Aiken County deputies say they got a call of someone threatening suicide on Andrews Circle around 10 this morning. Investigators say 52-year-old Deborah McCollum came to the door and pulled out a gun. Deputy Christopher Salley pulled his own gun, firing a fatal shot.

The Carters say McCollom recently lost her husband.

"I know she's had a hard time since her husband's passing, but she never seemed like a dangerous person," said Carter.

This officer involved shooting scene is something that's been happening in South Carolina a lot lately. SLED said that they've had four officer related shootings in the past 3 days.

"Our responsibility is to investigate the officer involved shooting and collect all of the information, all of the evidence, all of the ballistics, and other test that go along with our investigation," said Thom Berry, special agent with SLED.

SLED reports 20 officer involved shootings in South Carolina this year,

but today's was the first for Aiken County. The Carters are still trying to help their neighbor.

"She asked my husband if anything ever happened to her to keep an eye on the pets. It's confusing and upsetting for both me and my husband since we've gotten a little closer to her since her husband passed. Helping her out with stuff," said Carter.

The coroner's office says McCollum's autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow. They'll be putting the evidence into a case file and then decide if any charges will be filed. The deputy is on administrative leave during the investigation which is standard protocol.

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW) -- An Aiken woman is dead after an officer-involved shooting near Windsor.

The coroner identified the woman as Deborah A. McCollum, 52, of Andrews Circle. The Aiken County Sheriff's Office was called to the 2400 block of Andrews Circle off Old Barnwell Road at 10:19 a.m. for a person threatening suicide.

When deputies arrived, a person holding a gun was at the front door, a news release said. Deputy Christopher Salley took out his weapon and fired, hitting her.

The deputies helped the subject, but was pronounced dead once Aiken County EMS arrived, a news release said.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will begin an investigation which is protocol for an officer-involved shooting.

The deputies who responded to the initial call were not injured, the Sheriff's Office said.

An autopsy is scheduled in Newberry SC tomorrow morning, the coroner said.