Former local NFL player and Kershaw resident Darrell D’Shawn Shropshire, 39, is wanted by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in relation to a shooting and drug charges.
Police responded to the 200 block of Artemis Place in Kershaw about 3 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, to discover Shropshire, armed with two handguns and bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound to his right leg.
According to police, Shropshire reported that his dog was barking and he went out to investigate and found three men breaking into an outbuilding on his property. Shropshire and at least one of the men exchanged gunfire and he was hit in his right leg, police said.
Shropshire was treated by Lancaster County EMS and transported to a local medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Lancaster County Multijurisdictional Violent Crime Task Force responded and searched the scene after obtaining a warrant, police said. Evidence there indicated a second person might have been shot.
Later on Jan. 19, a Chesterfield County man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his leg was found at a relative’s home in Chesterfield County. It is believed he was one of the individuals breaking into the building on Shropshire’s property, according to police. The individual was taken to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries.
During the search of the Shropshire property, investigators discovered drug-related evidence, which led to a second warrant for narcotics.
The Lancaster County Multijurisdictional Narcotics Task Force responded and conducted a search. They found 287 grams of suspected cocaine, 142 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 217 grams of suspected marijuana, suspected psilocybin mushrooms and a large number of controlled substance pills, police said. They also seized several firearms and $18,939 in cash.
“This incident kept us very busy,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “We were on scene in Kershaw and in Chesterfield County and sent personnel to a hospital in Charlotte.
“We do not yet know all the circumstances behind these events, but we do know all the ingredients for this to be very violent incident were present — drugs, money, guns and people willing to go to great lengths to further their criminal intentions,” he said.
“I am confident our investigators will identify all those involved, and we intent to make appropriate charges against all those who participate.”
Shropshire has yet to be taken into custody, but warrants have been issued, charging him with trafficking cocaine, trafficking methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute a Schedule 1 controlled substance, nine counts of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule 2 controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in proximity to a school or park.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Shropshire in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. In two seasons with the Falcons, Shropshire, who was a defensive lineman, played in 23 games. He was released in 2007 and played a couple of seasons with the Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League.
Shropshire went to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, before signing with the University of South Carolina in 2003. He spent 2003 and 2004 with the Gamecocks before being drafted by the Falcons.
