ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A 14-year-old was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting early Thursday morning in Belton.

It was a somber morning on Willingham Road as neighbors woke up. Many people watched as deputies investigated a deadly drive-by shooting.

Overnight, caution tape was unraveled surrounding one of the homes.

“The road and it was blocked off that there was cops everywhere,” said neighbor Jacob Saunders.

It’s an area neighbors described as mostly quiet. However, early Thursday morning it was everything but that.

“It’s really quiet. Everyone sticks to themselves,” said Saunders.

According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the area around 2:30 a.m.

That’s where the coroner’s office said Elijah Sergent was struck and killed by a stray bullet inside his home that flew in from outside.

The sheriff’s office said the Palmetto High School student was only 14 years old.

“It’s scary that something like that goes on nearby; somebody just shoots in there,” said neighbor Tommy Ellison.

The news comes after Sheriff Chad McBride sat down with 7NEWS anchor Gordon Dill to discuss crime in the area.

“The increase in violent crime is concerning and it concerns all of us,” McBride said in the interview.

In the exclusive one-on-one interview, Dill and McBride addressed South Carolina’s murder rate. It’s the highest it’s been in 30 years and many of those killed were kids.

Investigators said the list of cases are continuing to grow this month.

The news of 14-year-old Elijah Sergent’s death is one that the tight knit community said is concerning.

“It’s scary nowadays. You don’t know what’s going on with people this day in time. A lot of time neighbors are new and not familiar with those around,” said Ellison. “It’s not like our community to have problems like this.”

Investigators with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office are still working to determine a motive and who’s responsible for the shooting.

No arrests have been made.

Sergent’s death has been ruled a homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.