Stephen Foreman, a 35-year-old South Carolina man, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for a violent crime that left a 13-year-old girl critically injured. The incident, which occurred in a Walmart store, was deemed a random act of violence. As part of his sentence, Foreman will also receive long-term mental health treatment at the South Carolina Department of Corrections, as indicated by court records.
In addition to his prison term, Foreman was also sentenced to five years for possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He had pleaded guilty but mentally ill to the charge of attempted murder in the shooting of the young girl, Ashton Rickard.
The incident unfolded on June 7, 2023, when Ashton and her mother, Ashley Rickard, were shopping at a Walmart store on Whiskey Road in Aiken, South Carolina. Without any apparent motive, Foreman approached the mother and daughter and shot Ashton with a Colt 1911.
The .45 caliber bullet caused severe damage to Ashton’s body, lodging near the lower back section of her spine. The shooting resulted in extensive damage to several of Ashton’s internal organs and bones, substantial blood loss, and other injuries. Ashton remained conscious throughout the attack and its aftermath, fully aware of the severity of her injuries.
The lawsuit filed by Ashley Rickard in April 2024 also named Stephanie Foreman, Stephen Foreman’s mother, as a defendant. It was Stephanie’s Colt handgun that Stephen used in the attack. The lawsuit alleges that Stephanie Foreman had irresponsibly entrusted the gun to her son or failed to secure it properly.
Ashley Rickard also claimed that Stephanie Foreman was aware of her son’s history of mental illness. In a 2019 incident, Stephen Foreman reportedly used a sawed-off shotgun to assault and hold his family hostage in their home. He then broke into his brother’s gun safe, stole several handguns, and fled the scene. Although he surrendered to the police the next day, Stephanie Foreman initially cooperated with the officers but later refused to testify truthfully about the events, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks damages from both Stephen Foreman and Stephanie Foreman. As of the latest update, the lawsuit proceedings have been temporarily halted.