Man Gunned Down While Loading Car for Birthday Trip

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Summary: Brandon Swilling, 33, was fatally shot in his Rock Hill, South Carolina driveway on April 17, 2026, while loading his car for a birthday getaway to Asheville. The ambush occurred around 11 a.m. on Flint Hill Street. Police arrested 30-year-old D’Aaron Boyd Colston five days later and charged him with murder. Colston, a recently released felon, had no known connection to Swilling.

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Brandon Swilling had plans that April morning. The 33-year-old Rock Hill resident was outside his home on Flint Hill Street, carefully packing the car for a weekend getaway to Asheville with his girlfriend. The trip was meant to mark his 34th birthday a few days early. He never made it out of the driveway.

Around 11 a.m. on April 17, 2026, gunfire echoed through the southern edge neighborhood near Heckle Boulevard. Swilling collapsed in the driveway from multiple wounds. His girlfriend, who had been inside, rushed out after hearing the shots and called 911. Officers arrived to find him suffering from gunshot injuries to the abdomen and head. He died at the scene.

Rock Hill police quickly determined the attack was no random accident. Video evidence showed a man who had been waiting nearby. Detectives identified D’Aaron Boyd Colston, 30, also of Rock Hill, as the shooter. Court records later revealed Colston — a convicted felon released from prison just months earlier — had hidden behind a tree before stepping out and firing. Authorities described the act as a deliberate ambush on a complete stranger. Swilling and Colston had no known connection.

The arrest came five days later on April 22. Officers took Colston into custody and charged him with murder. He also faces counts related to illegal firearm possession. During his first court appearance, Swilling’s family and friends filled one side of the gallery while officers lined the other. Emotions ran high as prosecutors described how Colston had seemed to be “hunting” for a victim that day.

Neighbors who knew Swilling as a friendly local expressed deep shock at the sudden loss. Many wondered how such targeted violence could strike an ordinary morning routine in their own backyard. The case has left the community grappling with questions about safety and the impact of repeat offenders reentering society.

Investigators continue to piece together the full timeline, but the swift identification and arrest have brought some measure of closure for those closest to Swilling. His loved ones remember a man looking forward to simple joys — a road trip, time with his girlfriend, and another year of life that was taken far too soon.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Sources:

Rock Hill Police arrest details and court hearing
WCNC report on the arrest and charges
WSOC-TV coverage of the ambush description
Victim obituary and family information