A home robbery attempt that went wrong cost two men their lives Monday night on the outskirts of the city of Denmark.

According to Bamberg County Sheriff Edward “Ed” Darnell, Bamberg County Central Dispatch received a call at approximately 11:30 p.m., Monday March 30, to go to 7696 Voorhees Road West in Denmark, a road formerly known as the Old Mill Pond Road, just outside the city limits, to the residence of Herbert Smalls.

According to Sheriff Darnell there was a group of people there in the two-bay garage that was used as a room that people can go and watch TV and party in. Someone knocked on the first bay door and was told to go to the second, when the first didn’t go up.

When the second bay door came up two individuals walked in with a hand gun and ordered the people down on the floor to rob these people of their money. According to Sheriff Darnell there was an individual at the Smalls residence that had his own weapon as well. That individual pulled his weapon and shot both individuals, having fear for their lives because they knew who these people were and what would be next.

Both bodies have been taken to Charleston for autopsies. Sheriff Darnell stated that he isn’t prepared to release any names at this time until things are cleared up a little more. According to Sheriff Darnell no arrests have been made, one of the individuals have been questioned and the Sheriff’s Department will be talking with another individual also that had some money stolen from him.

“It appears at this point it was certainly self defense, and that’s where we are now,” Sheriff Darnell said Tuesday morning. “When people walk in a place like this to rob someone and they know everybody in there and everybody knows them, you don’t know what’s going to take place,” Sheriff Darnell said.

The Sheriff said that he didn’t think the crime was drug or gang related and the house was a place people have been known to go, adding that the individuals probably just wanted “some fast money”.

According to the Sheriff citizens are tired of being robbed in their homes: “ People are more prepared today in their homes and domain, when someone comes in uninvited, they’re ready, It’s sad when it comes down to something like this, people are tired of being robbed, you don’t know what a person is going to do when they come in a home with a weapon, people have a right to protect themselves with whatever force necessary, I really think that is what took place here,” Sheriff Darnell said.

Sheriff Darnell said an investigation into the case will be ongoing this week.

The Bamberg County Sheriff’s Department was on the scene until 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Also responding to the scene was: The Denmark Police Department, the Bamberg Rescue Squad, SLED, the Bamberg County Coroner’s Office, and the Denmark Fire Department.