Columbus County native killed in the line of duty in South Carolina

DARLINGTON COUNTY, SC (WWAY) — A Darlington County Sheriff’s Office deputy was killed and another injured in an officer-involved shooting early Tuesday morning. The deputy killed was originally from the Cape Fear.

Deputies were ambushed while searching for a wanted person around 1:30 a.m. in the Lamar area.

Devin Mason, 27, died. He graduated from West Columbus High School in 2017.

The other deputy was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

The suspect was killed. He was identified as Cameron Ray Dennett, 25, who had active warrants for criminal conspiracy and forgery out of Florence County.

Kristen Porter, 28, was arrested on the scene for the same charges.

Deputy Mason began his career with their agency in 2024 and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy on March 28, 2025.