Investigators no longer believe Saturday's fatal shooting of a 15-year-old was an accident, and they have charged a 19-year-old Cordova man with murder.

An arraignment was held Tuesday for Jamie Grays, of 260 Dawsey St., who has been charged with murder after what police originally believed was an accidental fatal shooting.

"The reason we went with murder in this case is because the subject wasn't cooperating and went so far as to hide the gun," Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office Capt. Rene Williams said. "This guy lied to authorities and then hid a gun involved in a shooting."

Harold "Scooter" Floyd Jr., of Pineview Trailer Park, Cordova, died around 3:45 p.m. Sunday. He had been shot once in the head.

Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Grays, who turns 20 on Friday, was taken before Orangeburg County Magistrate Rita Brown to be formally charged with murder.

"Do you understand the charge and the nature of the charge?" Brown asked Grays.

The hearing paused for about five minutes while Grays filled out a public defender's application form. Brown then explained to the Cordova man that he had a right to counsel as well as a preliminary hearing.

However, the magistrate deferred a bond hearing to circuit court.

"This is a capital charge, and I do not have the jurisdiction to set bond today," Brown said. "A circuit court judge will have to set bond. He will listen to the probable causes of the cases as the state sees it" and set or deny bond, she said.

On Monday, families of both the victim and the subject appeared at the Orangeburg County Law Enforcement Complex after hearing rumors that some type of conference on the matter was being held. The result was a hostile verbal confrontation that sent deputies into the middle of the fray to separate the parties.

With that background, Brown warned the family members of both parties she would break up any outbursts.

"Court is in session, and there will be no type of commotion or outbreak in this courtroom," Brown said.

The hearing continued without disruption.

Investigators waded through finger-pointing by witnesses, Williams said, that eventually revealed that around 4:35 p.m. Saturday, several individuals were present during the shooting.

At least four individuals, including Grays and Floyd, were playing cards at Gray's Dawsey Street home, Williams said, and a handgun was on the card table while they played. It was being passed around, and several individuals stated they pulled the trigger of the then-unloaded firearm.

"These people had been playing with the gun all day," Williams said. "They were playing around dry-firing the gun."

That dry-firing changed to live fire when one of the youths playing cards loaded the gun in full sight in the other card players, Williams said.

"At some point during that day, an individual put bullets in that gun," Williams said. "We've learned that two or three bullets were placed in the gun. The individual placed the bullets in the gun, and we found out they (the card players) knew it was loaded.

"The defendant is believed to have picked up the gun, pointed the gun and shot him (Floyd)," Williams said. "It's sad that it happened that way. It's tragic for the families of both the victim and the subject."

At that point, police think the subject tossed the handgun into a pond behind the residence.

Divers with the Canaan Fire Department recovered a weapon -- a .32-caliber revolver -- from the pond. The revolver was then transported to the State Law Enforcement Division for a ballistics comparison.

Closing Tuesday's arraignment, Brown set Grays' first appearance date for June 14.

"I want to extend to the victim's family the court's condolences," Brown said. "God be with you."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by calling 803-533-5516.

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