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Kelbrez Antrial Stringer (Seventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office). Background: The Spartanburg County Courthouse (Google Maps).
A South Carolina man, aged 24, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term following his attempt to murder his girlfriend, firing over 40 shots at her after she accused him of using her car to meet another woman. The dramatic and disturbing incident has resulted in a 35-year sentence for Kelbrez Antrial Stringer, as announced by prosecutors after Circuit Court Judge Patrick C. Fant, III delivered the ruling on Wednesday.
Stringer was convicted on several serious charges, including attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a crime, and discharging a firearm into both a dwelling and an occupied vehicle. The verdict came after a jury reviewed the case details, which painted a harrowing picture of the events that unfolded on April 17, 2023.
On that fateful day, Stringer borrowed his girlfriend’s car while she was at work. After her shift, he picked her up in the same vehicle, and they began their drive home to Cowpens, a small town in Spartanburg County. During the journey, Stringer’s girlfriend received a call from another woman, who claimed that Stringer had been unfaithful that day, using her car for the tryst.
This revelation led to a heated argument between the couple. Upon reaching Cowpens, the girlfriend insisted that Stringer leave the car so she could drive home by herself. However, as she attempted to leave, Stringer unleashed a barrage of gunfire, reportedly shooting at her vehicle more than 40 times.
The chaotic scene escalated as several bullets hit a nearby residence, while nine struck the girlfriend’s car. Tragically, one bullet wounded her in the neck. Despite the severity of her injuries, she managed to drive away and contact emergency services, a testament to her resilience in a terrifying situation.
Emergency medical personnel responded and transported the girlfriend to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for emergency care.
In an interview with investigators, Stringer initially claimed that an “unknown person” had been following the couple and then “shot at him while he ran away.” However, an eyewitness testified at trial that only one car — the one belonging to Stringer’s girlfriend — was the only vehicle on the road at the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors said Stringer had previously been convicted on charges of breach of peace, petit larceny, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, among other crimes. Prior to the start of his trial for shooting his girlfriend, Stringer pleaded guilty in a separate case to charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with the sentence running concurrent to his 35-year sentence.
“The victim was brave to face her attacker in open court and fight to make sure this dangerous person would go to prison for a long time,” Assistant Solicitor Eddie Hunter, who prosecuted the case said in a statement.