‘It’s going to be tough’: Baseball coach remembers 11-year-old killed in Pee Dee shooting

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A Pee Dee community is in mourning after 11-year-old Brentlee Crump was killed in a shooting earlier this week.

“You never expect to get a phone call with that kind of news,” said Jerry Smith, one of Crump’s coaches on his Dixie Youth baseball team.

Documents obtained by WMBF News state Florence County deputies were called Wednesday night to Clover Hill Road in Scranton for reports of a child shot in the stomach. Crump was already heading to the hospital when deputies arrived, but authorities spoke to a man at the home who said he was standing beside the home when he fired his shotgun into a nearby tree.

The report then states the man “had the gun in his hands near his side, when for unknown reasons the shotgun went off again and struck the victim in the stomach area.” The man ran up to the Crump and tried to stop the bleeding while calling for help.

A woman inside the home told deputies that she heard a pop sound and then heard it again, and that’s when the other children came into the house screaming. The report states the woman then called 911 and began performing CPR.

Crump was taken to the hospital where he later died. The Florence County Sheriff’s Office has not been able to confirm the relationship between the victim and the adults at the scene.

Smith told WMBF News he’s used to hearing about his players on and off the field, but hearing about tragedies involving his players is out of the ordinary.

“When you play on a team, it’s different. You’re part of a family then. And, you know, they’ve lost a member of their family,” said assistant coach Jerry Smith.

Smith says the coaches considered canceling the rest of the season. Instead, they’re moving forward in Brentlee’s honor. He added while Crump was quiet, he stood out on the team.

“He played with a lot of heart and a lot of moxie. He was our lead-off batter,” said Smith. “I didn’t get the opportunity to know him as well as some of the other kids because this was his first year playing with us, but he showed a lot of character.”

The coach also said one of the hardest parts will be explaining what happened to the rest of the team, who are all between 11 and 12 years old.

“I mean, how do you explain that to a child?” said Smith “It’s going to be tough for the rest of the season. I can assure you, every time they take that field, they’re going to think about Brentlee, and we will, too.”

Smith tells WMBF News the team plans to have a memorial and name its field in Brentlee’s honor. That has not yet been scheduled.

No arrests have been made in the case, and it remains under investigation.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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