The Mauldin Police Department has charged nine individuals in connection with a 2021 crash and shooting incident on I-385 that led to the death of brothers Rashon Javarous Irby, 29, and Andrekus Davarous Irby, 31, both of Laurens. The incident — which took place on I-385 near Old Stage Rd during the early morning hours of May 23, 2021 — also left multiple people injured.
The following suspects have been charged in connection with the incident, with the charges listed below each individual:
- Joshua Montai Emmanuel McGowen, 26, of Transylvania, NC
- Discharging into Vehicle
- Reckless Homicide x 2
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Injury
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death x 2
- Conspiracy
- Ziquavious Keandre Covington, 26, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Conspiracy
- Daniel Malik Cunningham, 25, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Reckless Homicide x 2
- Conspiracy
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Injury
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death x 2
- Aziz-Muhammad Jeffery Judge, 28, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Conspiracy
- Braylon Demarkques McBeth, 27, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Reckless Homicide x 2
- Conspiracy
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Injury
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death x 2
- Marcus Antonio Dillard, 29, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Conspiracy
- Jaquan Rashik Cain, 27, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Reckless Homicide x 2
- Conspiracy
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Injury
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death x 2
- Malcolm Jamar Fuller, 28, of Laurens, SC
- Accessory After the Fact
- Conspiracy
- Karl Everett Robinson II, 32, of Blackwood, NJ
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Injury
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death x 2
The Mauldin Police Department conducted a joint operation with the following law enforcement agencies to apprehend all nine suspects on Friday, Feb. 21: US Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force of Greenville and Asheville, US Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, US Marshals District of South Carolina, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Laurens Police Department and South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.
Seven suspects are currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center, and two will be extradited from other states.
“We’re holding everyone accountable for their role in an incident that never should have happened,” said Lt. Kevin Cox, Investigations supervisor. “This incident stemmed from a fight that began in Laurens and continued into Mauldin, where gunshots rang out going down the highway, two people tragically lost their lives and several others were injured.”
At approximately 2:16 a.m. on the morning of the 2021 incident, the Irby brothers were passengers in a white Chevrolet Impala heading north on I-385 when an altercation occurred with multiple other vehicles, at which time gunshots were fired. Ultimately that led to a vehicle collision, and the Impala crashed into the barrier on I-385, ejecting two individuals from the car.
The Irby brothers died at the scene, and multiple other people were injured during the incident. The resulting crime scene spanned more than a half-mile long and was littered with weapons, shell casings, bullet fragments and other evidence.
This case has been investigated by multiple officers and detectives at the Mauldin Police Department with few leads and several uncooperative witnesses. The lead investigator on the case, Detective Jenna Willson, reopened the investigation in 2024, and after a months-long investigation, was able to work with the Solicitor’s Office to make charges in the incident.
With nine suspects now charged and in custody, the case has been turned over to the Solicitor’s Office.
“These charges underscore the Mauldin Police Department’s commitment to protecting the community and holding criminals accountable, no matter how long it takes,” Police Chief George Miller said. “I’m proud of the hard work done by our investigators to bring a resolution to this complicated case and seek justice for the victims and their families, and I’m grateful to our partner law enforcement agencies for their assistance with arresting all nine suspects without incident.”
