Man found guilty of murder in 2019 Myrtle Beach-area bingo hall shooting
An Horry County judge found a man guilty of two counts of murder and armed robbery in connection to a 2019 shooting at a bingo hall.
Friday, a jury found Derrick Rivera, 31, guilty of all three charges related to the Waccamaw Bingo shooting, according to a news release from the office of 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson. The trial began Monday.
Judge Benjamin Culbertson sentenced Rivera to two life sentences plus 30 years in prison.
Rivera, of Georgetown, was convicted of the shooting in the Forestbrook area of Horry County left father-and-son owners Steve Johnson Sr. and Steve “Sparky” Johnson Jr. dead on July 26, 2019.
The shooting happened on a busy Friday night at the hall filled with patrons, The Sun News reported in 2020. Dozens of the Johnson’s family and friends attended a memorial at the hall off U.S. 501 after the killings.
“The evidence was clear that the driver was not involved int the killings, but facilitated transportation away from the armed robbery. More than a 100 pieces of evidence including DNA and cellphone records, which were the lion’s share of evidence, proved the guilt of the defendant in this case,” Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson said. “This was a family owned business that was beloved by the community. It’s a true tragedy to see a father and son killed in one night during a senseless act of violence.”
The prosecution, led by Hixson, said Rivera carried out the shooting while his accomplice, Bradford Britton, drove the getaway car. Britton pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of murder and attempted armed robbery earlier this week, according to Richardson’s office. Britton has yet to be sentenced.
This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 2:34 PM.
