Frank Wind calls for justice

DORCHESTER COUNTY , S.C. (WCIV) — A Summerville man is calling for justice on behalf of his wife after he was shot and killed while walking their dog October 29.

The accused shooter says he thought there was a deer when he pulled the trigger.

Emotionally, Frank Wind said he does not believe this was a hunting-related incident. He felt called to share his and his late wife Lori’s story as he struggles to understand the tragedy that befell their family.

“Maybe if I had been on the other side of her, I would have taken most of the gunshots and she would have still been alive,” Wind said. “Maybe we could have gone at a different time of day. Just out of nowhere a man came and shot my wife and myself multiple times with a shotgun. And from there my nightmare began.”

Wind said the Sawmill Branch Trail is full of active people: moms pushing strollers, runners, cyclists and people like him and his wife on an evening walk with their dog.

Wind said he was shot six times in the legs, arms and abdomen. Wind said he had to undergo multiple exploratory surgeries so doctors could discover where the damage had been done.

“They said it missed my aorta just a little bit and it’s a miracle I’m still alive,” he said. “So Trident Hospital saved my life.”

He says his wife, 54-year-old Lori, collapsed in his arms after they were shot.

He shouted for help and for the shooter to stop, but said more bullets were fired at them. Lori died at the scene. He said he felt his wife’s phone in her pocket and was able to press the emergency alert to call 911. He doesn’t know why they were shot, but he doesn’t think it was a hunting accident.

“You shouldn’t hunt in the dark,” he said. ‘It’s illegal. Did not identify the target, did not identify the target’s background, did not check what he had shot and fled the scene. I didn’t call 9 1 1, didn’t render any assistance. I called 9 1 1. Confused (and) in poor condition. Maybe if 9 1 1 had come sooner, she could have lived.

Researchers said 20-year-old Kristofer McDonald turned himself in after seeing a news report the next day.

McDonald is facing multiple charges from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, including involuntary manslaughter, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

The Department of Natural Resources added charges of criminal negligence with a firearm causing death, criminal negligence causing great bodily harm, and night hunting.

“The fact that it was called a hunting accident almost seems like it didn’t want to be a big deal, but there were so many laws and so many rules that were broken that to call it an accident wasn’t a big deal. hunting accident,” Wind said. “It was an execution, that’s what it was.”

McDonald was released on $400,000 bond. Wind was still in operation when the judge made that decision, he said.

“To my knowledge, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department has done an excellent job,” he added. “And DNR, to my knowledge, did a great job explaining to me what evidence they had. And they handed over everything to the court, down to the last detail. And the court still let them go.”

During the bond hearing, Dorchester County Judge Tara Frost said McDonald had no prior criminal history and several people appeared in court on his behalf.

“The fact that you killed someone my wife and now it’s free doesn’t seem right.” said Wind. “The holidays are coming. They’re going to have a Thanksgiving meal with their families and there’s going to be an empty chair at my kitchen table, which is bothering me a lot.

Now Wind is pushing for justice for his wife Lori.

“I hope it will help clear up all the misinformation that came out at the beginning of this incident,” he said. “And I want my wife to be remembered and that it’s just a minor hunting accident that doesn’t mean anything to me.”

In light of this tragedy, Wind has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and unexpected medical bills. If you feel called to donate you can do that here.

News 4 has requested additional documents in this case, including the 911 calls, but has not yet received them.

News 4 also reached out to McDonald’s attorney, but he has not yet provided a comment.

This comes as City of Summerville officials said during a public meeting Tuesday evening that they have been working to maintain safety on the Sawmill Branch Trail. One plan is to install solar-powered lights and cameras along the route.