Investigators say Travis Brown’s killing was premeditated and was followed by three shootings believed to be acts of retaliation.
HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — Three people have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Travis Brown, a Hardeeville man killed near the city’s high school Friday night, as authorities investigate what they describe as a premeditated attack followed by several apparent retaliatory shootings.
Hardeeville Police Chief Sam Woodward said Joshua Elliot Ferguson and Cleve Rudolph White were charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Leiya Aubre Watson was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The arrests marked a major development in an investigation that has expanded beyond Brown’s death to a series of shootings across Jasper County.
Brown was shot on Oct. 2 near Bus Loop Road and Red Dam Road. Police responding to reports of multiple gunshots found him wounded. He was taken to Coastal Carolina Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. The Jasper County Coroner’s Office identified Brown as an 18-year-old Hardeeville resident.
The shooting happened near Hardeeville High School while a football game was taking place, but police have repeatedly said the killing was not connected to a school-sponsored event, school activity or school operations. Authorities also said the people believed to have been involved were not current students. The location and timing prompted a large law enforcement response and initially raised concerns about the safety of people attending the game.
Investigators believe Brown’s shooting was planned. Woodward said the people involved knew one another was in the area and investigators believe those responsible waited for Brown and others to leave before the shooting occurred. Authorities have not released a detailed account of what led to the confrontation, and officials have not announced a specific motive beyond describing a disagreement that escalated into violence.
Ferguson was armed with an AR-style rifle when officers located him, authorities said. White was later arrested at his home in Levy. Investigators have not publicly established whether the rifle recovered from Ferguson was used in Brown’s killing. Police also have not released a complete accounting of the evidence they say connects each defendant to the homicide.
The investigation quickly widened after gunfire was reported elsewhere in Jasper County on three consecutive days. Jasper County Sheriff Chris Malphrus said shootings occurred Oct. 3 in the Cooks Landing Road area, Oct. 4 near Industrial Park Road and Oct. 5 on Bees Creek Road. Investigators believe those incidents were retaliation for Brown’s killing. No injuries were reported in the three later shootings, though authorities said property was damaged.
The Oct. 5 shooting resulted in another round of arrests after deputies received a description of a vehicle believed to have been involved. Deputies located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but authorities said the driver did not stop. A pursuit continued south on Interstate 95 before the vehicle crashed. Deputies arrested 20-year-old Reyli Cisnero and two 15-year-olds and recovered four firearms from the vehicle.
Cisnero faces several charges, including failure to stop for blue lights, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, discharging firearms into a dwelling and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He also faces additional weapons and breach-of-peace charges. The two juveniles face multiple weapons-related charges. The charges are allegations, and authorities have not said that the three arrested after the chase were involved in Brown’s killing.
Malphrus said information gathered from suspects and during the broader investigation led authorities to link the later shootings to the homicide. Officials have urged those involved in the dispute to stop the violence and allow investigators to handle the case. Police said the homicide and the related shootings remain under investigation, and Woodward said additional arrests could be made as investigators continue reviewing evidence.
Author note: Last updated October 7, 2026.