AIKEN, SC – A tranquil afternoon at a South Carolina Walmart spiraled into chaos last June when a 13-year-old girl was shot in an act of violence that stunned a quiet community and left a family forever changed.
Stephen Foreman, 35, was sentenced this week to 28 years in prison, with provisions for ongoing mental health treatment, after admitting to the unprovoked shooting of Ashton Rickard, a teenager whose life now bears permanent scars from a single bullet. He also received a separate five-year sentence for illegally possessing the firearm used in the assault.
Authorities say the incident unfolded on June 7 at the Walmart on Whiskey Road in Aiken, where Ashton was shopping alongside her mother, Ashley Rickard. Without warning, Foreman is reported to have approached the pair and opened fire with a Colt 1911 handgun, striking the young girl. The attack was described in court documents as random and senseless.
The .45-caliber bullet inflicted catastrophic injuries, tearing through Ashton’s body before lodging near her lower spine. She suffered extensive internal damage and lost a significant amount of blood, but remained conscious in the aftermath, acutely aware of her life-threatening wounds.
Emergency teams rushed Ashton to medical care, where doctors worked to stabilize her. The physical trauma was matched by the psychological ordeal of surviving a shooting at the hands of a total stranger, as her mother later recounted in legal filings describing the harrowing experience.
In the wake of the attack, Ashton’s family launched a fundraising campaign to manage mounting medical expenses and ongoing care for injuries described as both severe and life-altering.
The ramifications of the shooting have extended into the courts, where Ashley Rickard has filed a civil lawsuit not only against the gunman but also against his mother, Stephanie Foreman. According to the complaint, Stephanie Foreman owned the pistol her son used in the attack and allegedly failed to secure it, despite knowing his troubled history.
The lawsuit details a disturbing prior incident in 2019, when Stephen Foreman was accused of holding his family hostage at gunpoint and stealing firearms from their home. The complaint asserts that Stephanie Foreman was aware of these events and her son’s mental health struggles, yet continued to allow him access to firearms.
Legal documents further claim that, following the 2019 standoff, Stephanie Foreman hindered law enforcement by refusing to provide a truthful account of the incident, actions the girl’s mother believes enabled her son to avoid proper consequences for earlier violent behavior.
Foreman’s admission of guilt came with a plea of being mentally ill, a factor the court weighed while ordering his term of incarceration and mandated psychiatric care. While justice has taken its course in the criminal courts, the civil litigation is seeking damages from both Stephen and Stephanie Foreman. However, proceedings have currently been put on hold, pending further legal review.
As the community grapples with the impact of the shooting, the story stands as a stark reminder of how quickly violence can disrupt everyday life—and the lingering effects left behind for victims and their families.