The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a guilty plea by a man who shot his Black neighbor in a hate crime incident in Richland County, South Carolina last year.
The man pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in Richland County to state charges of hate intimidation, assault and battery in connection with a July 2025 shooting in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Richland County.
Prosecutors said the victim was standing outside his neighborhood gates before heading to work in the early morning hours of July 17, 2025, when Felkel drove up, shot at him out of his car window and drove off, saying, “You better keep running, boy!” According to court information presented in the case, Felkel also told an investigator that he believes “whites need to gather up all the black people, take them out into a field and kill them.”
SEE: First person charged under SC hate crime law sentenced on state charges
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We welcome the guilty plea in this disturbing case and stand in solidarity with the victim, his family and all those targeted by racist violence. Cases like this are precisely why South Carolina lawmakers should adopt a statewide hate crime law. With such violence rising across our nation, it is imperative that every case is taken seriously and prosecuted to the full extent of the law and that all Americans stand together in repudiation of the vile ideologies that inspire it.”
CAIR has previously expressed support for the adoption of a statewide hate crime law in South Carolina.
SEE: CAIR Reiterates Support for South Carolina Hate Crime Bill
CAIR Reiterates Support for South Carolina Hate Crime Law After Bill Advances from Subcommittee
CAIR Backs Rally in Support of Proposed South Carolina Hate Crime Bill
CAIR and the American Muslim community are standing in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism and white supremacy.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]