‘People were screaming and running’: 12-year-old South Carolina boy accused of setting a fire in a Walmart enters plea

In a case that stunned a South Carolina town and ignited national attention, a 12-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to second-degree arson after intentionally setting fire to a Walmart in Lancaster on Sunday, May 4, 2025.

Authorities say the child — whose name is being withheld due to his age — ignited the blaze around 4:30 p.m. inside the store’s craft and sewing section, sending flames and black smoke through the aisles and triggering a chaotic evacuation. Shoppers fled in panic as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

“People were screaming and running. It was like a nightmare,” one shopper told local news outlet WSOCTV.

“My first reaction was total shock,” local Reverend Keith Hinson, the pastor with Woodward Baptist Chester County, said. “I did not see this young man doing that at all. I really didn’t.” Hinson added, “My second feeling is, ‘What can we do?’ It’s done, but what can we do now?”

Terror in the aisles and a troubling pattern

This wasn’t the boy’s first fire that day. Investigators revealed he tried to start another fire earlier at a nearby Goodwill store, signaling a dangerous pattern of behavior. While no one was injured in either incident, the emotional toll and financial damage remain substantial.

Firefighters extinguished the Walmart blaze quickly, but not before it caused tens of thousands in damages. As of now, the store remains closed indefinitely, pending safety assessments.

Guilty plea and a call for help

On May 6, the boy pleaded guilty in family court. His attorney stated the plea was entered in hopes of expediting mental health treatment, not to admit guilt without cause. The court has ordered a full mental health evaluation to be completed within 45 days.

“Clearly, this child is crying out for help,” said one local pastor, speaking to Here Rock Hill. “But that cry came with fire and fear.”

If sentenced to the maximum penalty, the boy could be held in a juvenile facility until his 22nd birthday.

“This used to be a safe place to shop“

This arson comes on the heels of another violent incident at the same Walmart just weeks earlier — an April 1 shootout that left shoppers traumatized and police scrambling for answers. Residents now fear that the store is becoming a magnet for dangerous behavior. “This used to be a safe place to shop. Now we’re afraid to bring our families,” one local mother told WBTV.

Referring to the fire and recent shooting, Lancaster Police Chief Don Roper said, “We understand that some folks are concerned about incidents happening at Walmart. We have increased our presence at Walmart and we’re working with management at Walmart. You know we’re working very closely with them too, to make sure that we have a police presence there.”

Roper added, “It’s gonna be a little while before they’re able to reopen. They’ve got some work to do there, so we want to support them and work with them.”