Man pleads guilty to manslaughter, gets 25 years in Beaufort County case

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A Beaufort County man accused of shooting and killing two people at a 2021 birthday party in Seabrook will spend the next 25 years in prison.

2022 ARREST: Man arrested for double murder in Beaufort

Dionte Mitchell, 26, of Seabrook, pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles sentenced Mitchell to 25 years on the manslaughter charge and five years on the gun charge. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Mitchell will serve them at the same time.

The solicitor’s office said Mitchell must serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for release. Prosecutors also said the conviction counts as two strikes under South Carolina’s three-strikes law.

‘A long four years’ for Mulligan’s family

For the family of Shania Mulligan, the guilty plea brought what they described as a measure of closure after years of waiting.

“It has been a long four years,” Mulligan’s mother said.

She told WTOC she and her family felt relieved after the sentencing.

“My family and I are actually delighted… that we actually got justice for my daughter,” she said.

While she said 25 years doesn’t feel like enough, she added the family is focused on moving forward.

“25 years is not a long enough time for someone who took the lives of two innocent people, but we are satisfied. We’re just going to let God do the rest,” she said.

What happened at the Seabrook birthday party

The charges stem from an incident on Dec. 4, 2021, when prosecutors said a birthday party at a home in the Seabrook community turned violent.

According to the solicitor’s office, multiple fights broke out between groups of people who had prior conflicts, and the situation escalated to gunfire.

Prosecutors said Mitchell shot Mulligan multiple times, killing her. One of the bullets fired during the shooting went inside the house and struck a second victim, Flora Mae Gantt, killing her as well.

Officials said several hundred people were at the scene, creating chaos as the shooting unfolded.

Mitchell fled and was not arrested until June 2022, the solicitor’s office said.

Why the case ended in a plea

Mitchell had been scheduled for trial the week of July 20 in Beaufort County.

The case was prosecuted by the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office after it was referred in 2025 as a conflict case from the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Prosecutors said they spoke with witnesses and reviewed the evidence, but ran into major hurdles — including uncooperative witnesses and an evidentiary dispute over whether the first victim was armed at the time of the shooting.

Assistant Solicitor Brandon R. Lanier, who prosecuted the case along with Senior Assistant Solicitor George DeBusk, said those issues ultimately contributed to the plea agreement.

Second victim’s charge dropped

Mitchell had also been charged in the death of Gantt, but prosecutors said that charge was dropped.

Mulligan’s family said they are continuing to support Gantt’s family as they seek answers.

“We’re in the process of helping [them] as well, seek justice, and hopefully get justice for Ms. Flora Mae,” Mulligan’s mother said.

Foundation planned to honor Mulligan

After the sentencing, Mulligan’s family said they are working to create a foundation to honor her life. They said the goal is to help other families impacted by gun violence.

“This case is a senseless tragedy,” Lanier said in a statement. “A night that was supposed to be a celebration of life turned into a nightmare that involved the loss of life.”

SEE: Beaufort Co. family asking for answers after seeing multiple delays in loved one’s murder case