Man on rampage outside Food Lion kills one and attacks three others, SC cops say

A man is in a South Carolina jail following a violent rampage near a strip mall and businesses Tuesday that left one person dead and another hospitalized, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

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Noah Ashton Kowalewsky, 24, was charged with murder, attempted murder, two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of third-degree assault & battery, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

At about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, officers with the Chesnee Police Department responded to a call about a disturbance involving a weapon at the Food Lion, which anchors a strip mall at 712 South Alabama Avenue in Chesnee, according to the release. Sheriff’s deputies also responded to the call at the Food Lion.

It was reported that a man physically attacked people in the parking lot of the Food Lion, hitting one woman in the head with a pistol and having shot another, the sheriff’s office said.

Law enforcement Officers were able to locate and detain Kowalewsky in the parking lot of the Food Lion, according to the release. Victims were located at the Food Lion, Hardee’s fast food restaurant, and one person who had been shot was found dead at the Chesnee Car Wash, the sheriff’s office said.

The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office said that 39-year-old Lenny James Presnell Jr. is the victim who died, WHNS reported.

In all, there were four victims of the violent spree, according to the release. In addition to Presnell, another person was shot and hit with the firearm at the Food Lion, the sheriff’s office said.

Two other victims were pushed while they were in the area near the Hardee’s, according to the release.

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The surviving shooting victim was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery, the sheriff’s office said. There was no word on the conditions of the other victims from the Hardee’s, or if they needed any medical treatment.

Information about a motive for the violence, or if Kowalewsky knew any of the victims prior to the attacks, was not available.

Kowalewsky was taken to the Spartanburg County Detention Facility where he’s being held until a bond hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, according to the release. Following that appearance, Kowalewsky is slated to return to court Dec. 17, judicial records show.

Despite the arrest, the sheriff’s office is continuing to lead the investigation into the incident.

This is not the first time that Kowalewsky has been arrested. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to a strong arm robbery charge, Spartanburg County court records show.