A 74 year old Fort Mill man was fatally shot by law enforcement officers Tuesday morning as units attempted to serve a warrant at a Fort Mill apartment complex, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the York County Coroner’s Office.
The man was identified as Yves Joseph Venne by the York County Coroner’s Office and SLED. Venne, who is identified online as a classically trained jazz pianist and composer, was taken to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, where he was pronounced dead. The coroner’s office responded to the hospital emergency room late Tuesday morning to begin its investigation.
The shooting marks the first officer involved shooting for the Rock Hill Police Department in 2026 and the sixteenth in South Carolina this year.
How the encounter unfolded
Members of the York County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and the York County Multi Agency Drug Enforcement Unit went to the Sycamore Apartments complex on Clydesdales Court on Tuesday to serve a warrant on Venne, according to SLED.
Rock Hill Police officers assigned to the units encountered Venne inside an apartment. SLED reported that he was holding an object later determined to be a metal tire iron. Officers opened fire during the encounter, striking Venne. He was transported to the hospital, where he died.
No law enforcement officers were injured, according to SLED.
The agency has not released additional details about what occurred before shots were fired or how many officers were involved.
State investigation underway
The Rock Hill Police Department and the York County Sheriff’s Office requested that SLED investigate the shooting. SLED conducts officer involved shooting investigations at the request of the agency involved or the agency with jurisdiction.
SLED agents will interview potential witnesses, collect relevant evidence, and conduct forensic testing as needed. Findings will be summarized in a case file report submitted to prosecutors.
The death remains under investigation by SLED and the York County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy and toxicology testing are scheduled to be completed next week, with results pending, according to York County Coroner Sabrina Gast.
SLED reported that South Carolina recorded 45 officer involved shootings in 2025, including one involving the Rock Hill Police Department.
SLED described the matter as an ongoing investigation and said no additional information would be released at this time.
A career in music
According to a biography on thebash.com, Venne was a classically trained pianist and composer who studied at the Conservatoire de Musique du Quebec and performed throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe.
The biography states that he received an award for musical writing, served as a composer in residence in Montreal and Connecticut, and was selected as a guest pianist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of L’Orange in France. He directed choral groups and musical ensembles before relocating to Fort Mill. He described himself as a versatile performer whose repertoire ranged from classical composers such as Frederic Chopin to jazz standards and original compositions.
Source: York County Coroner’s Office and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division press releases, June 3, 2026, and a performer biography published on thebash.com.
