Burglary suspects are shot

AIKEN -- The Aiken County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that it will seek warrants for the arrest of two Trenton men in connection with a convenience store burglary Monday night.

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Efrem L. Nipper, 37, of Jacob Mackie Road, and Trah Best, 25, of Lloyd Road, face charges of second-degree burglary, sheriff's Lt. Michael Frank said in a news release.

Robert McFerrin, the owner of Twin Lakes Food Mart at 1230 Bettis Academy Road, shot both men with a shotgun after they kicked open the front door of the store and tried to remove seven cases of beer at about 10:45 p.m., police said.

"The store owner has a butler's building directly beside his store where he stays at night and heard the men go running by," Lt. Frank said.

Deputies found one of the men lying on the ground near the store. He had been shot in the left shoulder, Lt. Frank said. The Aiken Bloodhound Team traced the second man to a car that he had driven to Edgefield County. The man had called 911 to report that he had been shot, police said.

Both men were taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital.

One of the men was released Tuesday to the custody of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. The other man remained at the hospital.

Lt. Frank said he was unsure who was in custody and who remained hospitalized.

The sheriff's office is investigating Mr. McFerrin's actions and consulted with the solicitor's office, Lt. Frank said. No decision regarding charges against the store owner has been made.

The store was not open at the time of the burglary, Lt. Frank said.

Reach Betsy Gilliland at (803) 648-1395, ext. 113, or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Wednesday, April 27, 2005 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle