RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – New details have emerged in connection to a deadly 2024 shooting in Beaver that left two men dead after a pickup truck crashed into the side of First Baptist Church.
As previously reported by LOOTPRESS, deputies with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:55 a.m. on June 22, 2024, to reports of a shooting on Oxley Circle in Beaver. When deputies arrived, they discovered a black Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck crashed into the church building with two deceased men inside suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
At the time, investigators said the identities of the victims were being withheld pending notification of family members, and the case remained under active investigation.
According to newly released investigative information, the victims were later identified as James Griffith and Dennis Gwinn. A third occupant of the truck, identified as Andrea Burdette, survived the shooting.
Investigators say Burdette told deputies the group was inside the truck when multiple gunshots were fired at the vehicle by an unknown person. According to Burdette, Griffith attempted to drive away before crashing the truck into the church building.
Burdette also stated that gunfire allegedly continued after the crash, forcing her to hide in the rear passenger area of the vehicle before calling 911.
During the investigation, detectives learned an altercation had reportedly taken place earlier that night at a nearby residence belonging to Terry Maxey on Oxley Circle. Witnesses told investigators that Dennis Gwinn had allegedly assaulted Maxey during the disturbance.
Detectives later interviewed Allison Kirchner, who reportedly told investigators that Ranny Smith and Josh Reeves were present at Maxey’s residence shortly before the shooting. Kirchner alleged both men were armed and used T-shirts to cover their faces before leaving the residence and heading toward the area where Griffith’s truck and Gwinn’s motorcycle were parked.
According to investigators, Kirchner said she later heard multiple gunshots and observed Smith and Reeves running back toward the residence immediately afterward.
Investigators also interviewed Becky Lilly, who told detectives that Smith arrived at her residence in the hours following the shooting. Lilly allegedly told investigators that Smith stated his firearm “held 30 rounds” and that he “had to unload it,” referring to firing the weapon.
Authorities say Lilly later received a text message instructing her to dispose of items hidden inside a chip bag. Detectives subsequently recovered two firearms from a chip bag inside a garbage can at the residence.
According to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, ballistics testing later confirmed that shell casings recovered at the shooting scene matched one of the firearms recovered during the investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, their local 911 center, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
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