Deputies: Man facing attempted murder charges after setting fire to house with people inside

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A 33-year-old Lowcountry man is facing attempted murder charges after authorities say he set fire to a house with three people inside.

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office arrested Gary Lee Bradley Jr. on three charges of attempted murder and second-degree arson.

According to investigators, surveillance video captured Bradley spraying some type of liquid and setting the home on fire.

“Fortunately, the residence did not sustain major damage to the structure. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division continue to investigate,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Bradley’s arrest stems from an investigation on Wednesday night when deputies responded to a home on Carriage Lane near Summerville for a suspicious fire.

Officials with the Pine Ridge Fire Department said the fire was possibly arson related.

Crews said when they arrived on scene they could smell gasoline around the area where the fire started. Law enforcement also reported smelling gas near the backyard of the home. Authorities located an “oil-based” liquid sprayed on the side of the home where the fire started.

The victims said when the returned home they noticed the smell of gasoline. One of the victims said he noticed a small flame near the side of the home while he and one of the other victims were outside in the backyard, but thought it was a neighbor having a bonfire.

One of the victims said when he went back into the home he could smell something burning while he was in the master bedroom and began to see smoke coming from the baseboard. He then ran outside and noticed the side of the home was on fire.

The victims said they did not have any issues with anyone in the neighborhood and did not know why anyone would want to harm them.

A resident’s surveillance camera captured video footage of a man spraying some type of liquid on the fire at the home. The report states that someone recognized the man, and that he went by the name “Gary Lee.”