Romando Dixson

rdixson@greenvillenews.com

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office charged two Upstate men with murder in connection with a fatal shooting Sunday during a home invasion in Cherrydale.

Jeryl Lamar White, 46, of Burgess Avenue, died of gunshot wounds, Coroner Parks Evans said. White was shot after he barricaded himself in his bathroom, according to arrest warrants.

Tristian Xavier-Marian Cummings, 25, of Greenville, was charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to arrest warrants. Simeon Tafari Williams, 25, of Piedmont, faces the same charges. Both were being held at the Greenville County jail without bond.

Deputies responded to a burglary in progress about 1:15 a.m. Sunday at White's home near Poinsett Highway and encountered two suspects in the residence, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies ordered the suspects to drop their weapons and get on the ground, Sgt. Jennings Autrey said. Williams complied and Cummings ran away, Autrey said. Cummings was taken into custody not far from the residence.

White was transported to the hospital and died about five hours later, the Coroner's Office said. Sylv ia Nnodim, White's mother, addressed Cummings and Williams at their bond hearings. She said she didn't want them to have a bond.

"I just would like to know why would you even go there with anything like that in your mind," Nnodim said to Cummings. "What did he ever do to you?"

Cummings said he didn't know White and didn't know what happened. Cummings said he was "the wrong guy."



"I would never take another life," he said, adding that he has two kids and goes to work every day.



"I'm trying to provide for my family, too," Cummings said.



He and Williams apologized for Nnodim's loss.

"I'm sorry what happened but I didn't have a firearm in my possession," Williams said.

Staff writer Romando Dixson covers crime for The Greenville News. Follow this case and others through his Facebook page, Romando The Reporter.