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Nine teens have been arrested in South Carolina over the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, authorities said. The June 24 killing of Trey Dean Wright of Johnsonville, South Carolina, “began as a dispute over a girl,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson said, and it may have been partially captured on video by one of the suspects.

Florence County Sheriff’s deputies found Wright’s body on First Neck Road on June 24. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The rural roadway where the teen’s body was found is about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach.

On June 25, deputies arrested and charged 19-year-old Devan Scott Raper of Conway with murder and unlawful possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to court documents. Prosecutors said he shot and killed Wright following an argument.

Florence County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Michael Nunn said Raper is accused of shooting and killing Wright and “was not alone” in the altercation. “There was an agreement among these other individuals and this group,” Nunn said.

Weeks later, local authorities announced a slew of new arrests in connection with the case. Officials allege that several teens helped to lure the victim to where the gunman was waiting. They claim that the teens knew Raper was armed and that he had made prior threats against the teen.

Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, told Fox News Digital that court proceedings have only made her grief more acute. “All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”

Court documents showed that Wright’s girlfriend, 17-year-old Gianna Kistenmacher of Myrtle Beach, was arrested for being an accessory before the fact of murder. She was accused of “bringing the shooter to the scene, knowing that the shooter was armed and that a violent crime was likely to occur,” according to the arrest warrant.

Teenagers Charged as Adults in Raping Case

Florence County Sheriff’s Office Major Michael Nunn told WBTW-TV the shooter and several other people conspired to set up the fatal shooting. “They were complicit in bringing the armed codefendant, Raper, to the incident location and knowing that there would be a confrontation,” Nunn said.

“The adults were with the children during the initial stages of planning for this event and the days leading up to it,” he continued. “They knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him, according to the arrest warrants.”

South Carolina state law permits prosecutors to charge minors as adults in cases involving serious crimes, including murder, and authorities confirmed that five of the suspects are being prosecuted under that law.

“The hand of one being the hand of all is part of South Carolina law as well, so that’s the basis of the charge for each of those individuals,” Nunn said.

In addition to Raper, three other teenagers were charged with murder in the Myrtle Beach area. Prosecutors said the additional suspects played enough of a role in the crime to be directly charged, according to Nunn.

Named in the newly unsealed arrest warrant were 18-year-olds Hunter Kendall and Corrine Belviso and 17-year-old Sydney Kearns. According to court documents, Kendall, Belviso, and Kearns were all charged with murder.

Sheriff T.J. Joye said the suspects were killed over a personal feud related to the murder of a mutual friend. “They had issues with each other, and it was over a female,” Joye said. “The sad thing is, you’ve got a 16-year-old who lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”

Raper is currently facing murder and weapons charges for possessing a gun during a violent crime. He is being held in custody without bond. Kendall, who is also facing a murder charge, is in custody without bond. Belviso and Kearns were each released after posting $20,000 surety bonds last week.

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office has declined to provide more information about the ongoing investigation, and prosecutors declined to comment on the case. Wright’s mother, meanwhile, continues to mourn her son publicly while lamenting the drawn-out court process.

For her, the shooting’s horror was made worse by the fact that her son’s girlfriend and several of his friends are now accused of being complicit in his death. The case has raised concerns in some local communities about teenage rivalries, peer pressure, and the easy access to guns, all coming together in a potentially lethal mix.

A simple dispute between two young people has now led to nine teenagers being charged with murder and conspiracy, two families ripped apart, and a small South Carolina community grappling with how such a senseless act of violence could have happened.