.

Nine teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy on June 24 in Johnsonville, South Carolina. Officials say the incident, which they claim one suspect filmed on video, was the result of an argument “over a girl.”

Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Trey Dean Wright dead along First Neck Road on June 24. The teen was struck by several gunshot wounds. The road where the 16-year-old’s body was found is located in a rural area of the county, about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach.

On June 25, a 19-year-old man from Conway, South Carolina, was arrested in connection with the murder. Investigators say Devan Scott Raper shot Wright after the two got into an argument.

Raper’s arrest did not come at the end of the investigation, however, and in the weeks since the shooting, Florence County Sheriff’s deputies have revealed a series of new arrests of teenagers who helped orchestrate the incident.

Investigators say the suspects lured the 16-year-old to a field where Raper was waiting. One of the suspects had brought Raper to the location and apparently knew that he had a weapon and had previously made threats toward the victim.

Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, said the trial process has been difficult and distressing for her and her family. “All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”

Investigators announced that among the eight people arrested in connection with the murder is Wright’s own girlfriend, 17-year-old Gianna Kistenmacher of Myrtle Beach. Officials say Kistenmacher was among the teenagers who lured Wright to the spot where he was shot and have charged her as an accessory before the fact.

Prosecutors say Kistenmacher is being charged with being an accessory before the fact of murder. They claim she brought Raper to the spot where he was waiting to shoot Wright, fully aware that Raper was armed with a gun and that a violent confrontation was likely to ensue.

Prosecutors Charge Accused Teens as Adults

Florence County Sheriff’s Office Major Michael Nunn told WBTW-TV that multiple suspects “were complicit in bringing the armed codefendant, Raper, to the incident location and knowing that there would be a confrontation.” Nunn added, “They knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him, according to the arrest warrants.”

South Carolina law gives prosecutors the authority to try teens as adults in the case of serious crimes, including murder. Nunn confirmed that five of the nine defendants are being tried as adults under that statute.

“The hand of one being the hand of all is part of South Carolina law as well, so that’s the basis of the charge for each of those individuals,” the sheriff’s office major said.

Three additional teenagers from the Myrtle Beach area have also been charged with murder along with Raper. All three were identified as 18-year-old Hunter Kendall and Corrine Belviso and 17-year-old Sydney Kearns. Kendall has also been charged with murder.

The Sheriff’s Office says that the suspects, who were all between the ages of 17 and 19, “violated state law by soliciting and/or participating” in the planning of the murder of Trey Dean Wright.

Sheriff T.J. Joye said the case at its root stemmed from two teens in a personal feud over a female friend. “They had issues with each other, and it was over a female,” he told local media. “The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”

Raper, who has been charged with both murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, is being held at Florence County Detention Center without bond. Hunter Kendall is also being held without bond on a murder charge.

Corrine Belviso and Sydney Kearns each posted a $20,000 surety bond last week and have been released pending trial. A spokesperson for the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said investigators have no additional details to share at this time due to the ongoing investigation.

The office added that prosecutors have declined to discuss the specifics of the case. However, in the wake of the shooting, many in the community have grown concerned about how feuding between teenagers, access to guns, and perceived peer pressure may combine to create circumstances leading to fatal violence.

Wright’s mother is continuing to grieve her loss in public as court hearings, investigations, and other judicial processes continue to be slow for those involved. To her, the true loss has been compounded by learning her son’s girlfriend and others were in cahoots with those who ultimately killed him.