FLORENCE, South Carolina — An 8-year-old boy from New Hampshire died after he and his father were shot while traveling in a vehicle in South Carolina on Saturday.
Officials responded to a call around 2 p.m. of multiple shots fired into moving vehicles on Old River Road near Florence, South Carolina, according to a release from the Florence County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies arrived to find Quarius Naqua Dunham, 8, and his father with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to an area hospital for medical treatment, but Quarius did not survive, the release stated.
Quarius' father, who was driving the vehicle, was shot in the left leg, but his injuries were not considered life-threatening, officials said.
Charles Montgomery Allen, 40, of Florence was arrested Saturday after a brief standoff at his home, the release stated. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and four counts of discharging a firearm into a vehicle. He is being held without bond at the Florence County Detention Center.
Police have not determined a motive for the shooting, officials said.
"Investigators alleged that Allen fired multiple random rounds at passing vehicles on Old River Road," the release stated.
The incident remains under investigation, and additional charges are possible, according to the Florence County Sheriff's Office.
Quarius was a third-grade student at Little Harbour School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, according to NBC Boston.
Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern issued the following statement Tuesday:
"There really are no words to express the shock and sadness with which we receive this terrible news.
Just last week, we gathered in a vigil to remember the 19 children whose lives were cut short in Texas. We tried to imagine how those parents felt, how we would feel. Now that darkness has crept into Portsmouth and taken the life of one of one of our own.
Portsmouth stands with the family, friends, and classmates in grief at this dark hour. Counseling is available through the schools. If you have trouble accessing assistance, please reach out directly to me."