NEWBERRY COUNTY — X’Zavier Sharif Davis, 26, of 633 Cherry Lane, Newberry, will now be charged with murder following the death of 7-year-old Iven James Caldwell.

Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece identified Caldwell as the victim early Tuesday morning.

Previously, Davis was charged with use of firearm while under influence of alcohol or drugs, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and four counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. Sheriff Lee Foster says the charges against the suspect will be upgraded to murder based on the death of the child from the gunshot wound. He will be charged with one count of murder and three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill.

On Saturday, April 20, Newberry County Sheriff deputies were called to the Newberry County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department with two reported gunshot victims. According to a release from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, earlier that morning, Davis went to the Cherry Lane residence and found the door locked. The release further stated Davis demanded entry, but the female victim and children had gone to bed and did not answer the door.

It was at this point that Davis gained entry and began to verbally assault the victims, according to the NCSD. The female victim gathered her three children and left the home through the back door, and attempted to leave the residence in her car. As she fled the property, Davis allegedly opened fire with a handgun hitting the car several times. According to the report, the female victim was shot and as she was driving herself to the hospital, realized one of her children, a 7-year-old, had also been hit by the gunfire.

Both victims began treatment at Newberry County Memorial Hospital, but the 7-year-old had to be transported to a Columbia area hospital because of the serious nature of the injuries. Sheriff Lee Foster said the Newberry County Memorial Hospital staff gave the child a chance with their rapid care, before being transferred to a trauma unit.

“It is bad enough for someone to get injured in an act of violence, but when you recklessly shoot into a car occupied by small children, your own children, it is simply despicable,” Foster said.

Caldwell died from his injuries around 2 p.m. on Monday at a Columbia area hospital.

“As a parent, my heart just aches for the mother and children who had to watch this child be shot and eventually die from this senseless act of violence,” said Foster. “It is simply abhorrent to me that this child’s life was taken because of the willful, senseless, and reckless actions of this suspect.”

Foster thanked the staff of Newberry County Memorial Hospital for their heroic and compassionate care of the victims as well as their patients allowing law enforcement to conduct their investigation.

Deputies responded to the Cherry Lane residence, on Saturday, and found the suspect still there, and locked inside. After a brief time, deputies were able to talk the suspect out of the house and take him into custody without incident.

Because the victim drove her car to the NCMH Emergency Department, it was considered part of the crime scene and appropriate protocols had to be met in the parking lot and inside the hospital. Foster said because there were multiple crime scenes, the State Law Enforcement Division crime scene unit was called in to assist deputies in forensic processing.

Davis is currently at the Newberry County Detention Center after being denied bond earlier this week.

Davis and the female victim lived together at the residence. Two of the children are the suspect’s children as well. The 7-year-old who was shot is not the suspect’s biological child.

Davis
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_davis_xzavier_0000156329_4_20_2019_12_15_14_PM-1.jpgDavis

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@championcarolinas.com

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.