Cellphones, money and territory, claimed as reasons for South Carolina inmate riot

(Lee County Fire Rescue)

Inmates armed with homemade knives fought each other for about seven hours over territory and money, leaving seven of them dead in the worst U.S. prison riot in a quarter-century, officials said Monday. An inmate who witnessed the violence told The Associated Press that bodies were "literally stacked on top of each other."



"Cellphones helped stir up the trouble, and state officials urged the federal government to change a law and allow them to block the signals from prisoners' phones.

"These folks are fighting over real money and real territory while they're incarcerated," Stirling said at a news conference."

The prisoner who saw the riot exchanged messages with AP on the condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to have a cellphone and fears retribution from other inmates.

He said he saw several attackers taunt a rival gang member who was badly injured.


https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/16/state-police-respond-to-ongoing-situation-at-sc-prison.amp.html

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article208982719.html