‘We lost our friend’: Shooting at South Carolina tattoo shop leaves one dead

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) -- An arrest has been made in a Spartanburg business shooting late Thursday night that took the life of a beloved tattoo artist. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office has charged Wade Christopher Kastner Jr. with murder, high & aggravated domestic violence and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in connection with a homicide reported at illINK Tattoos at 1211 Boiling Springs Road. Before 11 p.m., deputies with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office responded to a disturbance involving a weapon at the tattoo studio. While en route, authorities learned that a shooting occurred. Once at the scene, deputies located 44-year-old Troy Conner suffering from a gunshot wound.

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Scoop News DeskSpecific city/county not stated, South Carolina · Published Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 5:40 PM UTCUpdated Monday, September 14, 2026 at 12:07 AM UTC

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Conner was a business partner at illINK Tattoos, according to the company. "Last night we lost our friend," illINK shared in a statement on Facebook. "Troy was a great guy. Kastner remains in custody at the Spartanburg County Detention Center, where he was denied bond. ‘We lost our friend’: Shooting at South Carolina tattoo shop leaves one dead - FOX8 WGHP. During bond court, Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette explained Kastner tracked his wife to the tattoo shop, attacked her, and then shot Conner. The individual was located away from the scene and taken into custody without incident.

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