3 people charged in off-campus SC shooting

Three people were charged Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a man near a South Carolina college campus, authorities said.

Donell Lamont Dewon James, 23, is accused of breaking into a home just blocks from the Coastal Carolina University campus on Monday and shooting Allen D. Smith, 37, who was not a student, authorities said.

James was charged with murder, kidnapping, burglary and armed robbery, said Horry County sheriff's Sgt. Bob Carr.

James' cousin, Andrew James IV, 19, has been charged with accessory before the fact, and Tanheshia Prosha Smith, 18, has been charged with misprision of a felony, or lying to police, Carr said. The suspect has no relation to the victim.

Officials said all three suspects are from Conway but have no connection to the university, which had sent students text messages and e-mail alerts on Monday.

Carr and officials at the county jail said they did not know whether the three suspects had attorneys.

Classes were canceled a second day on Tuesday after a separate break-in at an off-campus apartment complex where many students live, university spokesman Doug Bell said.

Authorities don't think the break-in was related to the shooting, but Bell said school officials didn't want to take any chances with students' safety.

"We don't think that there's an immediate threat to the campus community," Bell said. "But we want the campus community to know that there will be an elevated security presence on campus."

Student were expected to return to class on Wednesday, according to the school's Web site.

Coastal Carolina University has about 7,800 students. About 2,200 students live on the main campus, which is about 15 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.