SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – A man charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting outside a Spartanburg Walmart is asking a judge to release him on home incarceration or GPS monitoring while he awaits trial. The case has also raised questions about how Brandon Parker legally obtained a South Carolina gun permit despite two prior domestic violence convictions.
Parker was arrested after investigators say he shot his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of the Dorman Centre Walmart last September. Prosecutors say surveillance video shows Parker firing his weapon as the victim attempted to flee. One woman’s child was nearly struck during the incident.
‘Boyfriend loophole’ at center of investigation
In court, prosecutors raised questions about how Parker was able to legally obtain a firearm. Federal law bans anyone with a domestic violence conviction from possessing a gun, but for several years the ban only applied if the victim and offender were married, living together, or had a child together — a gap known as the “boyfriend loophole.”
That loophole was largely closed at the federal level in 2022, well after Parker’s convictions. The closure was not retroactive.
“There’s loopholes in the law that need to be taken care of,” 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette said. “He had a gun and he used it, there was no question about it in this case. We would ask to definitely deny bond, your honor.”…