GREENWOOD, S.C.; January 31, 2025 – A Greenwood man is headed to state prison for 45 years after being convicted Friday of charges stemming from a deadly drive-by shooting during the weekend of the Festival of Discovery in Greenwood during the summer of 2022, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Friday.
Christopher Longshore Jr., 30, was found guilty by a Greenwood County jury on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Circuit Judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. then sentenced Longshore to 40 years in prison on the murder charge and an additional 5 years in prison on the weapon charge, with the sentences to run consecutively. State law requires that sentences for murder be served day-for-day, meaning Longshore will be in prison for his entire sentence and not be eligible for any early release.
In July 2022, police responded to a call of shots fired and one person shot at Uptown Grill, located along Seaboard Avenue near the intersection of East Cambridge Street. When they arrived, officers located 29-year-old Keyiona Hill lying on the floor of the bar deceased from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to her head. Witnesses outside the bar said they saw a burgundy or red-colored sedan drive by and open fire out of the passenger side of the vehicle before speeding off down East Cambridge Street. FLOCK cameras picked up the vehicle just seconds after the shooting driving down East Cambridge in the direction of Walmart, where Longshore and the other two occupants of the car were seen on parking lot survillance cameras getting out of the vehicle and hiding what appeared to be the firearm in the trunk.
An Uptown Grill security guard told detectives that they recently had an issue with a patron attempting to bring a handgun inside the establishment. The individual was arrested and charged with unlawful carry of a firearm. That individual was identified as Longshore. Police located the suspect vehicle the following morning and were also able to locate the owner of the vehicle, who told detectives that she had been driving the vehicle when Longshore began shooting at the establishment. When questioned by police, Longshore denied any involvement in the shooting as well as being in the suspect vehicle at any point that night.
Solicitor Stumbo, Deputy Solicitor Demetri Andrews, and Assistant Solicitor Mary-Madison Driggers handled the case for the state with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Blake Moore and 8th Circuit Victim Advocate Sarah Parris. Longshore was represented by Tristan Shaffer and Elizabeth Thomas of the 8th Circuit Public Defender’s Office.
Solicitor praised the work of his staff, along with the officers and detectives of the Greenwood Police Department, and assistance from the State Law Enforcement Division, in securing the conviction and prison sentence.
“Keyiona Hill was a hard-working single mother trying to enjoy a social outing with her friend and looking forward to the next day where they would take their children to the water park,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the sentencing. “That trip to the water park never happened because Keyiona’s life was senselessly ended by Christopher Longshore, simply because of his anger and thirst for revenge on a business establishment that he thought had disrespected him. Ms. Hill’s family and friends can begin to heal from this tragedy now that Longshore is convicted and behind bars.”