ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Rock Hill man recently released from prison was “hunting for a victim” when he shot and killed a stranger loading his car for a birthday trip, a detective testified in court.
Police say 30‑year‑old D’Aaron Boyd Colston ambushed 33‑year‑old Brandon Swilling on April 17, hiding behind a tree before jumping out and shooting him.
Swilling was packing his car for a trip to Asheville with his girlfriend when he was killed. Swilling would have turned 34 on April 25.
During Colston’s first court appearance, Rock Hill Detective Tayler Englert told the judge that Colston appeared to be “hunting for someone to victimize,” according to the Rock Hill Herald.
The detective said Colston shot Swilling in the abdomen and then in the head, prompting emotional outbursts from the packed courtroom.
Police escorted two people out after tempers flared. Colston repeatedly shouted, “I didn’t do it.”
Investigators say the two men did not know each other. Swilling’s girlfriend heard the gunshots and called 911 after finding him in the driveway of their Flint Hill Street home.
Neighbors described Swilling as a generous, well‑liked man who had lived in the community for five years.
Colston was arrested on April 22 after police found video and other evidence linking him to the killing.
He is charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Colston had been released from prison on supervised re‑entry on January 30 after serving part of a 12‑year burglary sentence.
Detective Englert called Colston an “absolute danger to the community” and asked the judge to deny bail.
Judge Sara Russell denied bond, noting Colston could face life in prison if convicted. He has requested a preliminary hearing and is being held at the York County jail pending trial.
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