Stephen Foreman, a 35-year-old man, has been handed a 28-year prison sentence for a violent act that left a 13-year-old girl severely injured. The incident took place at a Walmart store in South Carolina and was characterized as a random act of violence. Foreman’s sentence also includes long-term mental health treatment at the South Carolina Department of Corrections, according to court documents. In addition to his prison term, Foreman was given a five-year sentence for possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Foreman had entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill to the charge of attempted murder in the shooting of Ashton Rickard. The incident occurred on June 7, 2023, when Ashton and her mother, Ashley Rickard, were shopping at the Walmart on Whiskey Road in Aiken, South Carolina. Foreman approached the mother and daughter and shot Ashton without any apparent reason, using a Colt 1911.
The bullet, a .45 caliber, caused significant damage to Ashton’s body, lodging near the lower back section of her spine. The shooting resulted in extensive damage to several of Ashton’s internal organs and bones, substantial blood loss, and other injuries, according to a lawsuit filed by Ashley Rickard in April 2024. Ashton remained conscious throughout the attack and its aftermath, fully aware of the severity of her injuries.
The lawsuit also named Stephanie Foreman, Stephen Foreman’s mother, as a defendant. It was Stephanie’s Colt handgun that Stephen used in the attack. Ashley Rickard alleged in the lawsuit that Stephanie Foreman had irresponsibly entrusted the gun to her son or failed to secure it properly.
Ashley Rickard also claimed that Stephanie Foreman was aware of her son’s history of mental illness. In a 2019 incident, Stephen Foreman reportedly used a sawed-off shotgun to assault and hold his family hostage in their home. He then broke into his brother’s gun safe, stole several handguns, and fled the scene. Although he surrendered to the police the next day, Stephanie Foreman initially cooperated with the officers but later refused to testify truthfully about the events, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks damages from both Stephen Foreman and Stephanie Foreman. As of the latest update, the lawsuit proceedings have been temporarily halted.