Man Arrested at Waffle House After Killing Two People in Front of Young Children

What started as a heated argument inside a South Carolina apartment complex ended in a double homicide — and a dramatic arrest at a Waffle House just hours later.

Charles Saunders, 50, of New York, has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of murdering Alesia Dykes and Bernard Alexander Lyles on June 18, 2024. The shooting unfolded at the Walsh Drive Apartments in Hardeeville — with children just steps away.

Prosecutors said tensions had been building for days before gunfire erupted.

Saunders and Dykes had known each other for years, dating back to their time in New York. According to investigators, Dykes later introduced Saunders to her sister. The two had a son together. Saunders had recently traveled to South Carolina after learning his son had become a father. At the time of the shooting, he was staying with Dykes.

Shortly after noon that day, Hardeeville police rushed to the apartment complex following reports of an argument. Witnesses told officers that Saunders, Dykes, and Lyles had been in a confrontation.

When things escalated, Dykes and Lyles tried to retreat inside the apartment.

That’s when, prosecutors said, Saunders stepped into the doorway, pulled a handgun from his waistband, and opened fire.

Three young children were inside the apartment during the shooting. One child ran to a nearby relative’s home to get help as chaos unfolded.

Dykes was pronounced dead at the scene. Lyles was rushed to Coastal Carolina Hospital but later died from his injuries.

Saunders fled.

Investigators later found a shirt discarded in a trash can along Main Street. Forensic testing revealed gunshot residue on the clothing, tying it back to the shooting.

Hours later, authorities tracked Saunders down at a Waffle House in Ridgeland, where he was arrested without incident.

On Thursday, a jury convicted him of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The judge sentenced him to life behind bars.

“[Saunders] chose to repay trust and hospitality with violence of the most horrendous sort,” prosecutor Trasi Campbell of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said in a statement.

She added, “Charles Saunders has lived a life of violence, and today’s outcome ensures he no longer endangers the public.”