© Associated PressPrisoners killed in the South Carolina riot. Top row, from left: Corey Scott, Eddie Casey Gaskins, Raymond Angelo Scott and Damonte Rivera. Bottom row, from left: Michael Milledge, Cornelius McClary and Joshua Jenkins.
WARNING: This article contains graphic images.Photos obtained by
Prison Legal News appear to reveal the bloody aftermath of a riot that occurred at the Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina around 7:15 p.m. on April 15. The violence, which culminated in the deaths of seven prisoners, was the
deadliest event of its sort in the past quarter-century in the United States.
A source who requested anonymity and said he is currently imprisoned at the Lee facility in Bishopville provided
PLN with a series of photos that appear to have been taken with a cell phone. The images show dead or badly-wounded bodies covered with blood and a blood-soaked floor.
PLN could not verify the photos at press time, and our investigation into the authenticity of the graphic pictures remains ongoing.
The images are posted below this article.
Along with the seven prisoners who were killed, whose
names and photos were published by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), another 17 prisoners were wounded and are reportedly being treated. According to the SCDC's official account of the incident posted on Facebook and Twitter, the fighting between prisoners
lasted almost eight hours. At a press conference, SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said the lethal riot centered around rival gangs and contraband cell phones.
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